Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank and make a grammatically correct sentence.

The bodies _____ identified as those of two suspected drug dealers.

were

The most appropriate option to fill in the blank and make a grammatically correct sentence is:

☀ were

The sentence would read: "The bodies were identified as those of two suspected drug dealers."

Explanation: The past tense "were" is used to match the plural subject "bodies" and create a grammatically correct sentence. The other options don't fit the context:

• Had: This past perfect tense doesn't match the sentence structure and context.

• Have: This present tense doesn't match the sentence structure and context.

• Was: This singular past tense doesn't match the plural subject "bodies."