Choose the correct verb form to fill in the blank:
When Meenal opened her lunch box at recess, she found that her brother ______ all the parathas on the school bus.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → had eaten
Past perfect tense:
- Its form is had + past participle (V3).
- It shows the earlier of two past actions.
- The brother ate the parathas on the bus first.
- Meenal opened the box and found it empty later, at recess.
- Clue word: “found”, a past verb, and “on the school bus”, which came before recess.
- Complete sentence: When Meenal opened her lunch box at recess, she found that her brother had eaten all the parathas on the school bus.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: has eaten — Incorrect.
- “Has eaten” is the present perfect.
- It joins a past action to the present.
- It cannot follow a past verb like “found” in a sentence set in the past.
- Example: I have eaten two bananas today.
Option 3: was eating — Incorrect.
- “Was eating” is the past continuous.
- It shows an action going on at a past moment.
- Here the eating was over before Meenal opened the box.
- Example: Ravi was eating lunch when the phone rang.
Option 4: would eat — Incorrect.
- “Would” + verb shows a past habit or a later action seen from the past.
- It cannot show an action that was already over.
- Example: As a child, I would eat jalebi every Sunday.