Complete the sentence using the correct options:-
When I reached the station, the train
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → had already left
Past perfect for the earlier of two past actions:
- When two actions are both in the past, the one that happened first takes the past perfect (had + past participle). The later one takes the simple past.
- This sentence: the train left first, and I reached the station later ("reached" is simple past), so "the train had already left".
- Complete sentence: When I reached the station, the train had already left.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: been leaving — Incorrect. "Been leaving" has no helping verb and is not a complete verb form.
Option 2: had been already leaving — Incorrect. The past perfect continuous shows an action in progress over a period. A train's departure is a single completed action, and "already" is misplaced.
Option 4: has left — Incorrect. The present perfect "has left" cannot go with the past time set by "When I reached".
Contrast: "had left" marks the earlier of two past actions. "Has left" links a past action with the present.