Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
- A) While the operator was making the machine ready the fire alarm goes off.
- B) The operator was making the machine ready, the fire alarm went off.
- C) While the operator making the machine ready, the fire alarm went off.
- D) While the operator was making the machine ready, the fire alarm went off.
- E) None of these
Show answer
Answer: D) While the operator was making the machine ready, the fire alarm went off.
Explanation
Option D is correct. A "while" clause for an action in progress takes the past continuous ("was making"), and the interrupting action takes the simple past ("went off"). A mixes past and present tense, B joins two clauses with only a comma, and C drops the verb "was".
Asked in: SGFL 2017