Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option:
Kiran ______ the shutter of his medical shop when a man ran in for cough syrup.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → was about to pull down
“Was about to” for a past action that nearly happened:
- Its form is was / were about to + base form.
- It shows that someone was just going to do something at a past moment, and then something else happened.
- Clue word: “when a man ran in”.
- The man ran in at the moment Kiran was ready to close, so the shutter was not yet down.
- Complete sentence: Kiran was about to pull down the shutter of his medical shop when a man ran in for cough syrup.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: pulls down — Incorrect.
- “Pulls down” is the simple present.
- It shows a habit, but the other action, “ran in”, is in the past.
- Example: Kiran pulls down the shutter at ten every night.
Option 3: is about to pull down — Incorrect.
- “Is about to” is the present form of “be about to”.
- It shows something just going to happen now, not at a past moment.
- Example: Hurry, the shopkeeper is about to close the shop.
Option 4: has pulled down — Incorrect.
- “Has pulled down” is the present perfect.
- It joins a past action to now, so it does not go with the past time of “when a man ran in”.
- Example: Look, Kiran has pulled down the shutter already.