Question

Read the sentence below and answer the question that follows. Gramps had been coaching at the local college when he quit and went to work at the bank. What does the tense of the underlined verb reveal about the subject? The event took place in the past continuously but concluded prior to another past event. The event took place in the past continuously. The event concluded prior to another past event. The event has been completed.

Answer 1

The event took place in the past continuously but concluded prior to another past event.

Answer 2

The event took place in the past continuously but concluded prior to another past event.

The verb phrase "had been coaching" tells us that at one point Gramps was coaching. The "ing" at the end of coaching tells us that he was doing it continuously, not just once. However, he is no longer coaching and we know this because of the "had been" part of the verb phrase