Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumVerbs, Tenses, and Aspect

Read the sentence below:

"The school counselor emphasized to the graduating class that it is high time they ________ deciding on their career paths."

Which of the following verb forms correctly completes the sentence?

  1. commencedAnswer
  2. B
    commence
  3. C
    should commence
  4. D
    have commenced

Answer

commenced
In standard English grammar, expressions such as 'it is time' or 'it is high time', when followed by a subject, require a past tense verb form (unreal past) to denote an action that ought to have been done already. Therefore, the simple past tense form 'commenced' is grammatically correct.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the introductory fixed expression in the sentence clause.
The sentence contains the expression 'it is high time'.
Structures beginning with 'it is time' or 'it is high time' dictate specific subjunctive/unreal past tense rules.
2
Determine the required grammatical verb form following 'it is high time' + subject.
When a personal subject ('they') follows 'it is high time', the main verb must take the simple past tense form to express present or future unreal urgency.
This is a standard rule of unreal past in English syntax.
3
Select the option corresponding to the simple past tense of the verb.
'commenced' is the simple past form of the verb 'commence'.
Only 'commenced' satisfies the unreal past tense requirement.

Key Concept

Unreal Past Tense after 'It is high time'
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Rate this question

Topics

Verbs, Tenses, and Aspect

More questions from this topic