The task is to fill in the blank numbered (5) in the provided passage with the most appropriate word from the given options. The sentence in question is:

"This project has (5)_________ me over four years to finalise," says Peter Dalton.

Grammar Focus: Verb Tense in Sentence 5

To correctly fill the blank, we need to understand the verb tense required by the sentence structure. The sentence begins with "This project has...", which indicates the use of the present perfect tense. The present perfect tense is typically formed using "has/have" + the past participle of the main verb.

Explanation for Blank 5

Let's analyze the structure and the verb 'take':

• The main verb is 'take'.
• The present perfect tense requires the past participle form.
• The past participle of 'take' is 'taken'.
• The structure "It takes someone time to do something" or, in the present perfect, "It has taken someone time to do something" is a standard English idiom.

Now let's look at the options:

• Option 1: taken - This is the past participle of 'take'. The sentence reads: "This project has taken me over four years to finalise." This fits the present perfect tense structure and is grammatically correct and idiomatic.
• Option 2: took - This is the simple past tense of 'take'. Using it here would create an incorrect structure: "This project has took me...". The auxiliary verb 'has' requires the past participle, not the simple past.
• Option 3: been taking - This forms the present perfect continuous tense ("has been taking"). While grammatically possible in some contexts, it emphasizes the ongoing nature of the action. However, the phrase "has taken me [time]" is more common and concise for stating the total duration required to complete something up to the present moment. The simple present perfect ("has taken") is the most natural fit here to describe the total time spent finalising the project.
• Option 4: taking - This is the present participle. Using it without 'been' after 'has' is grammatically incorrect in this context ("This project has taking me...").

Therefore, the most appropriate word to complete the sentence is taken.

Passage Completion with Correct Word

The completed sentence is:

"This project has taken me over four years to finalise," says Peter Dalton.