Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence. If there is no need to substitute it, select ‘No substitution required’.
The news that the examination were been cancelled upset all our plans.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The correct answer is option 3 i.e. had been
- The option "had been" is to maintain proper verb tense agreement in the sentence.
- In the original sentence, "were been" is grammatically incorrect.
- "Was been" is also incorrect because "been" is typically used with the past perfect tense, which requires "had."
- "Have been" is used with the present perfect tense and is not suitable in this past context.
Hence, the correct option would be had been.