Identify the grammatical error in the sentence below and choose the correct replacement for the underlined word. By the time the firefighters arrived, the residents have already evacuated the building.
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Worked Solution
Step 1: Spot the time reference.
'By the time the firefighters arrived' anchors the sentence in the past (arrived = simple past).
Step 2: Apply the sequence-of-events rule.
When one past action is completed BEFORE another past action, use PAST PERFECT (had + past participle) for the earlier action.
Step 3: Form the past perfect.
'Evacuate' → past participle = 'evacuated' → past perfect = 'had already evacuated'.
Step 4: Replace.
The residents HAD ALREADY EVACUATED the building (before the firefighters arrived).
Answer: had already evacuated
Correct answer: had already evacuated
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