GATE 2025 CY – Question 2
We __________ tennis in the lawn when it suddenly started to rain.
Select the most appropriate option to complete the above sentence.
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Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: (B) had been playing
Explanation
The sentence describes an action that was **in progress in the past** and was **interrupted** by a second past event (the rain).
- **have been playing:** present perfect continuous, which relates to the present. ✗
- **had been playing:** past perfect continuous, used for an ongoing past action that was interrupted before another past event. ✓
- **would have been playing:** refers to an unreal (hypothetical) past. ✗
- **could be playing:** a possibility in the present or future. ✗
"We **had been playing** tennis in the lawn when it suddenly started to rain." Answer **B**.