Past Perfect or Past Continous

Question

My day at the school was really fun. When I arrived at 9 am, I saw that the playground was full of snow. As I stepped on the fresh snow, I saw that some kids ---- (build) a snow-man.

Which tense is the best option for the blank above?

A) was building
B) had build
C) had been building

Thanks for your help in advance.

Clive · Accepted Answer

What's your choice, first?

Anonymous · Answer

Hi Clive.

I prefer were building because the man saw the kids while they were building the snowman. Am I wrong?

Thanks

Anonymous · Answer

Any other ideas please?

Clive · Answer

I prefer were building because the man saw the kids while they were building the snowman. Am I wrong?

'Were building' is fine. It would be the most likely choice if it were one of the 3 possibilities listed. But it isn't!

Of the 3 listed, only C fits Only C is correct grammar. And since school is likely to start at 9, it is likely that the building activity stopped before 9.

Clive

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousWhich tense is the best option for the blank above?A) was building B) had buildC) had been building

It's not a matter of choosing the right tense because two of the three answers have grammatical mistakes, so you can't use them. You have to choose the one without mistakes no matter what tense it is in.

kids was building should be kids were building.
kids had build should be kids had built.

Only 'had been building' is left, so it has to be the right answer.

CJ

Past Perfect or Past Continous

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