Question

The train................... when he reached the railway station.

• A. is leaving
• B. had left
• C. has left
• D. will leave

Answer 1

Answer:

B. had left

This sentence describes two past actions:

1. The train's departure.

2. His arrival at the railway station.

The phrase "when he reached the railway station" indicates that his arrival is a past event. For the train's departure, we need a tense that shows an action completed before another action in the past. This is the function of the Past Perfect Tense.

• Past Perfect Tense (had + past participle): Used for an action that was completed before another action or point in time in the past.

• Simple Past Tense (reached): Used for the second action that happened in the past.

Here, the train leaving happened before he reached the station, so "had left" is the correct choice.