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Question

Difficulty: MediumVerbs, Tenses, and Aspect

Not until the judicial panel ______ all the cross-examined testimonies did the presiding judge deliver the final verdict. Which of the options correctly completes the sentence?

  1. A
    has reviewed
  2. had reviewedAnswer
  3. C
    reviews
  4. D
    would review

Answer

The correct option is 'had reviewed' because the past perfect tense is required to indicate an action completed prior to another past action in an inverted past temporal structure.
In complex sentences introduced by negative time adverbials such as 'Not until', an action that occurs and finishes before another past event must be rendered in the past perfect tense ('had reviewed'). The main clause verb ('did... deliver') sets the timeframe in the past, making the past perfect aspect grammatically mandatory for the earlier action.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the main clause time frame and sentence structure.
The main clause uses inverted past tense syntax ('did the presiding judge deliver'), indicating the main narrative event occurred in the past.
Establishing the temporal reference point determines the necessary verb tense for dependent clauses.
2
Determine the chronological relationship between the two events.
The reviewing of testimonies by the judicial panel had to be fully completed before the judge delivered the final verdict.
An action that is completed prior to another past action requires the past perfect tense ('had' + past participle).
3
Select the verb form that satisfies past perfect tense-aspect requirements.
'had reviewed' correctly fulfills the past perfect aspect requirement.
Present tense or modal variations fail to express the necessary prior past completion.

Key Concept

Sequence of Tenses and Past Perfect Aspect with Inverted Adverbials
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Verbs, Tenses, and Aspect

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