Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the underlined segment in the
given sentence and rectify it. If no correction is needed, select ‘No correction required’.
The cake (was baking) in the oven when I arrived.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The correct answer is option 3 i.e. was being baked.
Error concept: Wrong verb form/voice usage.
What is wrong: The phrase “was baking” is in active voice, but here “cake” is the receiver of the action, not the doer.
Grammatical concept: In passive voice, the structure is was/were + being + past participle to show an action happening at a particular time in the past.
Incorrectness of the concept in context: Saying “cake was baking” implies the cake was doing the action itself, which is illogical.
How to correct: Replace “was baking” with “was being baked.”
Correct phrase/ correction: was being baked
Final sentence: The cake was being baked in the oven when I arrived.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.