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Question

Difficulty: MediumVerbs, Tenses, and Aspect

Which of the following verb forms best completes the sentence? 'It is high time the local authority ________ the broken bridge.'

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

Answer

repaired
The phrase 'it is high time' is followed by a clause containing a subject and a verb in the simple past tense ('repaired'). This subjunctive structure is used to indicate that an action should already have been taken.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the key fixed expression in the sentence clause.
The clause begins with 'It is high time'.
The expression 'it is high time' introduces an unreal past/subjunctive construction expressing urgency for an action that ought to be done now.
2
Apply the appropriate verb tense rule for unreal past expressions.
The verb following the subject in this structure must be in the simple past tense.
English grammar rules mandate that 'it is high time + subject' takes a simple past verb form to denote present/future obligation.
3
Select the correct past simple verb form.
'repaired' is the past simple form of 'repair'.
This correctly fulfills the subjunctive requirement of the sentence.

Key Concept

Unreal Past Subjunctive with 'It is high time'
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Topics

Verbs, Tenses, and Aspect

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