Choose the correct word from the word bank to fill in the blank. Word bank: had been, has been, was, were By the time the teacher arrived, all the pupils _______ seated quietly at their desks.
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Worked Solution
Step 1: Identify the time marker.
'By the time the teacher arrived' signals that one past action (pupils seated) was completed before another past action (teacher arriving). This requires the past perfect tense.
Step 2: Match subject and tense.
Subject = 'all the pupils' (plural). Past perfect plural = 'had been'.
Step 3: Verify.
Had been seated = past perfect passive, correct. 'Were seated' is simple past and misses the sequence relationship.
Correct answer: had been
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