Complete the sentence using the past perfect continuous tense: "By the...
Option A: "had been climbing" is the correct answer, completing the sentence as "By the time they reached the summit, they had been climbing for over eight hours." This correctly uses the past perfect continuous tense to express that the action of climbing had been ongoing for a duration before reaching the summit.
View all questions of this test
Complete the sentence using the past perfect continuous tense: "By the...
Understanding the Past Perfect Continuous Tense
The past perfect continuous tense is used to express an action that was ongoing in the past before another action took place. In this sentence, "By the time they reached the summit," indicates that reaching the summit is the second action.
Explanation of the Correct Answer: Option A
- The correct option is a) had been climbing.
- This form indicates that the action of climbing started before they reached the summit and continued for a duration of time.
Why Other Options are Incorrect
- b) have been climbing
- This tense is present perfect continuous and is used for actions that started in the past and continue to the present. Since the context is about the past, this option is not suitable.
- c) were climbing
- This is the past continuous tense, indicating an action that was happening at a specific moment in the past. It does not convey the duration leading up to another past event.
- d) are climbing
- This is present continuous, which describes an action currently happening. It does not fit the context since the sentence describes events in the past.
Conclusion
Using "had been climbing" effectively conveys that the climbing was a prolonged activity completed before reaching the summit. This tense captures both the duration and relationship of the actions clearly, making it the best choice for this sentence.