Choose the most appropriate word to fill in the blank:
The villagers were upset because the contractor had ______ the old banyan tree near the well to widen the road.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → felled
Complete sentence: The villagers were upset because the contractor had felled the old banyan tree near the well to widen the road. The contractor acts on “the old banyan tree”, and “had” comes before the blank.
| Option | Form and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) fallen | the past participle (V3) of fall (to drop down), which takes no object | Many leaves have fallen in the courtyard. |
| (2) fell | the simple past (V2) of fall, or the base form of fell; neither can come after had | A coconut fell on our roof last night. |
| (3) fells | the simple present form of fell; it cannot come after had | Every year, the forest department fells a few dead trees. |
| (4) felled (answer) | the V3 of fell (to cut down a tree), a regular verb: fell – felled – felled. It is different from fall (fall – fell – fallen) | The woodcutters felled two dead teak trees. |