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Question

Difficulty: EasyVerbs, Tenses, and Aspect

Dr. Adeleke ________ at the teaching hospital for over a decade before he was appointed head of the clinical unit. Which of the following verb forms correctly completes the sentence?

  1. had been practicingAnswer
  2. B
    has been practicing
  3. C
    was practicing
  4. D
    is practicing

Answer

had been practicing
The form 'had been practicing' correctly uses the past perfect continuous aspect to show an ongoing action that occurred over a duration of time prior to another completed event in the past.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the temporal sequence and time expressions in the sentence.
The sentence establishes a past reference point ('before he was appointed') and a duration leading up to that point ('for over a decade').
Identifying the relationship between past time frames determines the correct grammatical tense and aspect.
2
Select the appropriate verb tense and aspect for an action occurring prior to a past reference point.
An action that continued over a duration up to a specified past event requires the past perfect continuous aspect ('had been practicing').
The auxiliary structure 'had been' combined with the present participle '-ing' expresses ongoing duration completed before another past action.

Key Concept

Past Perfect Continuous Aspect
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Verbs, Tenses, and Aspect

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