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Question

Difficulty: MediumVerbs, Tenses, and Aspect

What is the grammatically correct verb form to fill the gap in the sentence below?

"By the time the accident investigation committee submitted its final report, the lead forensic technician ______ the flight recorder data for over three weeks."

  1. had been analyzingAnswer
  2. B
    has been analyzing
  3. C
    was analyzing
  4. D
    is analyzing

Answer

The correct option is 'had been analyzing', which accurately uses the past perfect continuous tense.
The verb form 'had been analyzing' is correct because it uses the past perfect continuous tense. When an action occurs over a period of time before a specific event in the past (marked by 'submitted'), the past perfect continuous aspect is required.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the time markers and clause relationships in the sentence.
The main time marker 'By the time...' introduces a completed past action ('submitted its final report').
Establishing the temporal baseline is essential to choosing the correct tense and aspect.
2
Determine the aspect required by the temporal expression 'for over three weeks'.
The phrase 'for over three weeks' emphasizes continuous duration leading up to that past event.
An action completed or ongoing prior to a past reference point requires the past perfect aspect.
3
Select the verb form that combines past perfect tense with continuous aspect.
'had been analyzing' correctly fulfills both requirements.
It maintains proper sequence of tenses across past time frames.

Key Concept

Past Perfect Continuous Tense and Sequence of Tenses
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Topics

Verbs, Tenses, and Aspect

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