Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option.
Meera looked tired when I met her because she ________ in the sun since morning.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → had been working
Past perfect continuous tense:
Its form is had been + V-ing. It shows an action that went on up to a past moment. The moment here is “when I met her”, which is in the past. Meera started working in the morning and was still at it when I met her. Clue word: “since morning” with the past verbs “looked” and “met”.
Complete sentence: Meera looked tired when I met her because she had been working in the sun since morning.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: worked — Incorrect. “Worked” is the simple past. It shows a finished action and cannot go with “since morning”. Example: Sunil worked at a bank last year.
Option 2: has been working — Incorrect. “Has been working” is the present perfect continuous. It runs up to now. The sentence is set in the past (“looked”, “met”). Example: Dad has been working in the garden since seven.
Option 4: was working — Incorrect. “Was working” is the past continuous. It shows an action going on at one past moment, but it does not take “since”. Example: Anu was working when the power went off.