We __________ tennis in the lawn when it suddenly started to rain.
Select the most appropriate option to complete the above sentence.
Options:
(A) have been playing
(B) had been playing
(C) would have been playing
(D) could be playing
Official Answer Key:
B
Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation
### **Detailed Step-by-Step Solution (GATE AE 2025 Q.2)**
**1. Intuitive Physical Setup & Given Parameters**:
Sentence completion:
> *"We __________ tennis in the lawn when it suddenly started to rain."*
Options:
- have been playing
- had been playing
- would have been playing
- could be playing
**2. Step-by-Step Grammatical Derivation**:
1. **Analyze Sentence Tense Structure & Sequence of Events**:
- The sentence contains two clauses connected by the time conjunction "when":
- Dependent clause: *"it suddenly started to rain"* is in the **simple past tense** (*started*).
- Main clause: Describes an ongoing continuous action in the past that was interrupted by the sudden past event (*started to rain*).
2. **Tense Rule**:
- An ongoing continuous past action preceding another past event requires the **Past Perfect Continuous tense**:
\text{had been} + \text{verb-ing} \implies \text{"had been playing"}
- *have been playing* (present perfect continuous) cannot pair with simple past *started*.
- *would have been playing* expresses a counterfactual conditional, not an actual interrupted past event.
- *could be playing* is present modal.
3. Therefore, the grammatically correct choice is **had been playing**.
**3. Comprehensive Options & Distractor Analysis**:
- **(A) have been playing**: ❌ **INCORRECT**. Present perfect continuous clashes with past tense "started".
- **(B) had been playing**: ✅ **CORRECT**. Past perfect continuous correctly conveys an action ongoing before another past event.
- **(C) would have been playing**: ❌ **INCORRECT**. Used for hypothetical conditionals, not past real events.
- **(D) could be playing**: ❌ **INCORRECT**. Present modal form.
**4. Official Master Key & Exam Takeaway**:
- **Official Answer Key**: **B**
- **Exam Takeaway**: Interrupted past actions follow: $\text{Past Perfect Continuous} + \text{when} + \text{Simple Past}$.