Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option:
There ______ a big banyan tree outside our school gate, but the road workers cut it down last year.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → used to be
“Used to” for a past state:
- Its form is used to + base form of the verb.
- It shows a state or habit in the past that is no longer true.
- For a past state (be, have, live), only “used to” works, not “would”.
- Clue word: “but ... cut it down last year” shows the tree is not there now.
- Complete sentence: There used to be a big banyan tree outside our school gate, but the road workers cut it down last year.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: would be — Incorrect.
- “Would” for the past shows only repeated actions, not a state like being somewhere.
- Example: As children, we would swim in the canal every summer.
Option 2: has been — Incorrect.
- “Has been” is the present perfect.
- It joins the past with now, but the tree is not there now.
- Example: There has been a tea stall at this corner since 1990.
Option 3: is used to — Incorrect.
- “Be used to” means “be in the habit of” and is followed by a noun or an -ing word.
- It does not talk about a past state.
- Example: Neha is used to waking up early.