In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank. Football legend Diego Maradona was buried in a private ceremony after a day of (1) ______ scenes in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires. Only (2) ______ two dozen relatives and close friends (3) ______ the final ceremony on Thursday. But (4) ______ huge crowds turned out to pay (5) ______ respects, with many weeping, blowing kisses, and praying as they filed past his coffin.
Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank no. 3.
attended
Let's carefully analyze the provided passage and focus on determining the most appropriate word to fill in blank number 3.
Understanding the Passage Context
The passage describes events related to the burial of football legend Diego Maradona. It talks about scenes in Buenos Aires and the ceremony that took place "on Thursday". This indicates we are discussing completed actions in the past.
The relevant sentence for blank 3 is: "Only (2) ______ two dozen relatives and close friends (3) ______ the final ceremony on Thursday."
Analyzing Blank No. 3
The sentence describes an action performed by "Only two dozen relatives and close friends" (the subject) concerning "the final ceremony on Thursday" (the object and time). The action is attending the ceremony, and the time reference "on Thursday" indicates a specific point in the past when this action occurred.
We need a verb form that correctly follows the subject "two dozen relatives and close friends" (which is plural) and expresses a completed action in the past.
Evaluating the Options for Blank 3
- attending
- attended
- have attended
- attend
Let's examine each option:
- Option 1: attending
This is the present participle form of the verb "attend". It is typically used in continuous tenses (e.g., "were attending") or as part of a gerund or participial phrase. Standing alone as the main verb after the subject "relatives and close friends", it doesn't form a grammatically correct sentence in this context describing a completed past event. - Option 2: attended
This is the simple past tense form of the verb "attend". The simple past tense is used to describe actions that started and finished at a specific time in the past. The subject "two dozen relatives and close friends" is plural, and "attended" is the correct past tense form for plural subjects. The time reference "on Thursday" clearly indicates a specific past time, making the simple past tense appropriate. "Relatives and close friends attended the ceremony" is a grammatically correct sentence describing a past event. - Option 3: have attended
This is the present perfect tense form. The present perfect tense (have/has + past participle) is used for actions that happened at an unspecified time in the past, actions that started in the past and continue to the present, or actions completed in the past but relevant now. The sentence includes the specific past time reference "on Thursday". While the present perfect can sometimes refer to completed past actions, the presence of a specific past time adverbial like "on Thursday" usually requires the simple past tense, not the present perfect. - Option 4: attend
This is the base form or simple present tense form of the verb "attend". The simple present tense is used for habits, facts, scheduled events, or current situations. It does not describe a completed action that happened on a specific day in the past like Thursday.
Conclusion for Blank 3
Based on the analysis, the simple past tense verb "attended" is the most suitable option to describe the completed action of the relatives and friends being present at the ceremony on the specific past day, Thursday. It fits the grammatical structure and the context of a past narrative.
The completed sentence fragment would be: "...relatives and close friends attended the final ceremony on Thursday."
Therefore, the most appropriate option for blank no. 3 is "attended".
| Option | Verb Form/Tense | Suitability for Blank 3 | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| attending | Present Participle | Incorrect | Doesn't form a complete past tense verb phrase alone. |
| attended | Simple Past Tense | Correct | Describes a completed action at a specific past time (on Thursday). Agrees with plural subject. |
| have attended | Present Perfect Tense | Incorrect | Specific past time adverbial ("on Thursday") usually requires Simple Past, not Present Perfect. |
| attend | Base/Simple Present | Incorrect | Does not describe a completed action in the past. |
Revision Table: English Grammar Verb Tenses
| Tense | Structure (Regular Verb) | Typical Use Cases | Example (using "attend") |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | Base form or Base form + -s/-es | Habits, facts, scheduled future events | They attend meetings every week. |
| Simple Past | Base form + -ed (for regular verbs) or Irregular form | Completed actions at a specific time in the past | They attended the meeting yesterday. |
| Present Continuous | am/is/are + -ing form | Actions happening now, temporary actions | They are attending a conference this week. |
| Past Continuous | was/were + -ing form | Actions ongoing at a specific time in the past | They were attending the meeting when he called. |
| Present Perfect | have/has + past participle | Actions at an unspecified time in the past, actions started in past and continue to present, past actions with present results | They have attended several conferences. |
Additional Information: Identifying Verb Tense Clues
Certain words and phrases in a sentence often act as clues to the appropriate verb tense. For simple past tense, look for:
- Specific past time adverbs: yesterday, last week, two years ago, in 2010, on Monday, on Thursday.
- Questions about when something happened.
- Narratives recounting a sequence of past events.
In the given passage, "on Thursday" is a strong indicator that the simple past tense is needed to describe the ceremony attendees.
Important Questions from Cloze Test
What would come in blank space (1)?
What would come in blank space (2)?
What would come in blank space (3)?
What would come in blank space (4)?
What would come in blank space (5)?
