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Question

Difficulty: HardVerbs, Tenses, and Aspect

Read the sentence below carefully. Which form of the verb 'enact' correctly completes the sentence to express an unreal past subjunctive construction?

Answer:The dean reminded the department heads that it was high time they 【enacted】 the revised curriculum for the upcoming accreditation exercise.

Answer

enacted
The expression 'it is high time' (and its backshifted form 'it was high time') requires the past simple tense (unreal past/past subjunctive) to indicate an overdue obligation. Therefore, the simple past form 'enacted' is the only grammatically correct choice.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the grammatical structure of the sentence.
The clause is introduced by the subjunctive formula 'it was high time' (derived from 'it is high time').
English grammatical rules require structures following 'it is (high/about) time' to take a past simple verb form when referring to an action that is overdue.
2
Select the correct form of the target verb 'enact'.
The past simple form 'enacted' must be inserted into the blank.
Although the communicative context relates to present or urgent necessity, the past tense form 'enacted' functions as a past subjunctive to express unreal past mood.

Key Concept

Unreal Past Subjunctive after 'it is high time'
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Verbs, Tenses, and Aspect

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