Select the most appropriate pair of words to fill in the blanks in the following sentence:-
The researcher _____ her findings before the conference _____.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → had submitted, started
This sentence describes two actions that both occurred in the past, where one action was completed before the other began. This structure requires the Past Perfect tense.
-
First Action (Completed earlier): The act of submitting the findings. This is written in the Past Perfect tense: had submitted.
-
Second Action (Completed later): The start of the conference. This is written in the Simple Past tense: started.