Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumVerbs, Tenses, and Aspect

Which of the following verb forms correctly completes the sentence below?

'It is high time the municipal authority _______ the city's outdated water distribution network.'

  1. repairedAnswer
  2. B
    repairs
  3. C
    should repair
  4. D
    has repaired

Answer

repaired
The idiomatic structure 'it is high time' followed by a subject requires a verb in the simple past tense (unreal past) to indicate an urgent, overdue action. Therefore, 'repaired' is the grammatically correct choice.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the key introductory expression in the sentence
The clause begins with 'It is high time'.
Structures such as 'it is time' or 'it is high time' dictate specific subjunctive grammatical rules when followed by a subject clause.
2
Apply the unreal past / subjunctive rule for 'it is high time'
When 'it is high time' is followed by a subject ('the municipal authority'), the verb must be in the simple past tense.
This construction expresses an action that is overdue and should be taken immediately.
3
Select the correct simple past verb form among the choices
'repaired' is the correct simple past form.
'repaired' satisfies the tense and aspect requirement of the unreal past structure.

Key Concept

Unreal Past and Subjunctive Mood after 'It is high time'
Rate this question

Topics

Verbs, Tenses, and Aspect

More questions from this topic