Choose the correct option to fill in the blank in the given sentence:
So long as the rain ______ , I stayed at home.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → continued
Sequence of tenses with "so long as":
- So long as means during the whole time that; both clauses speak of the same period.
- Clue word: the main clause "I stayed at home" is in the simple past, so the "so long as" clause is also in the simple past.
- Complete sentence: So long as the rain continued, I stayed at home.
Example: So long as the music continued, the children danced.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: continues — Incorrect. It is the simple present; it does not match the past "stayed".
Option 2: will continue — Incorrect. It is the simple future; the stay at home has already happened.
Option 3: continue — Incorrect. The base form does not agree with the singular subject "the rain" and is not past.