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Zorluk: OrtaVerbs, 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. commencedCevap
  2. B
    commence
  3. C
    should commence
  4. D
    have commenced

Cevap

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.

Adım Adım Çözüm

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.

Anahtar Kavram

Unreal Past Tense after 'It is high time'
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Konular

Verbs, Tenses, and Aspect

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