Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number 3.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The correct answer is option 4 i.e. believed.
"Believed" is the past tense of "believe," meaning to think something is true.
Here, it indicates what Wordsworth and Coleridge thought about poetry in the past.
Meaning of the other words:
Could believe: Suggests a possibility, not a past belief.
Will believe: Refers to the future, which does not fit here.
Believes: Present tense, but the passage describes historical events.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.