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Question

Difficulty: MediumVerbs, Tenses, and Aspect

Complete the sentence below by filling in the blank with the most appropriate verb form.

Answer:By the time the rescue team finally arrived at the scene, the injured hikers 【had been waiting】 in the freezing cave for over twelve hours.

Answer

had been waiting (or had waited)
The correct verb form 'had been waiting' accurately expresses an action that started in the past and continued up until another specified past action ('arrived'). The prepositional phrase 'for over twelve hours' highlights duration, requiring the past perfect aspect.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the time frame and sequence of events in the sentence.
Two past events are described: the hikers waiting in the cave, and the arrival of the rescue team.
The clause 'By the time the rescue team finally arrived' sets a definite past reference point using the simple past tense ('arrived').
2
Determine the correct tense and aspect needed for the earlier action with duration.
The past perfect continuous ('had been waiting') or past perfect ('had waited') must be used.
When an action began before a past point in time and continued continuously up to or through that past moment, the past perfect continuous (or past perfect simple for duration) is grammatically required.

Key Concept

Past Perfect Continuous Tense and Sequence of Tenses
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Verbs, Tenses, and Aspect

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