Question

Comprehension: In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank. Naval architects never claim that a ship is unsinkable, but the sinking of the passenger-and-car ferry Estonia (1) ____ the Baltic surely (2) ______ never have happened. It was well designed and (3) ______ maintained. It carried the proper number of lifeboats. It (4)______ thoroughly inspected on the day of its fatal voyage. Yet hours later, the Estonia rolled over and (5) _______ in a cold and stormy night. Q.19 Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank no. 4.

• A. have been
• B. was
• C. has been
• D. was been

Answer 1

Answer:

B. was

• Subject-Verb Agreement: The subject is "It" (referring to the ship, the Estonia), which is singular. Therefore, the singular auxiliary "was" is required. Simple Past Passive: The entire passage describes a specific historical event that happened in the past (the sinking of the Estonia). To show that an action was performed on the ship by inspectors, we use the formula: Subject + was/were + Past Participle (V3) Example: It was thoroughly inspected. Consistency: The preceding sentence uses the simple past ("It was well designed..."). To maintain the flow and timeline of the narrative, "was" is the only logical choice.