Choose the correct verb form to fill in the blank:
By the time the power came back at midnight, most of the wedding guests ______ for their homes.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → had left
Past perfect tense:
- Its form is had + past participle (V3).
- It shows the earlier of two past actions.
- The guests left first, and the power came back later.
- Clue word: “By the time” with the past verb “came back”.
- Complete sentence: By the time the power came back at midnight, most of the wedding guests had left for their homes.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: left — Incorrect.
- “Left” is the simple past.
- After “by the time” + a past verb, the action finished earlier needs the past perfect.
- Example: The guests left after dinner.
Option 2: have left — Incorrect.
- “Have left” is the present perfect.
- It joins an action to now, but this sentence is set in the past (“came back”).
- Example: The guests have just left, so the hall is empty.
Option 3: are leaving — Incorrect.
- “Are leaving” is the present continuous.
- It shows an action going on now, not one finished in the past.
- Example: The guests are leaving now, so please bring the return gifts.