After Rajendra Chola returned from his voyage to Indonesia, he ________ to visit the temple in Thanjavur. A. was wishing B. is wishing C. wished D. had wished

GATE 2017 · General Aptitude · Tenses · medium

Answer: The correct answer is C. wished — simple past tense is appropriate for a completed desire after a past event.

1. Identify the time frame: Both clauses refer to the past: 'returned' is simple past. The main clause must also be in the past.
2. Check whether past perfect is needed: Past perfect (had wished) stresses that wishing was completed before returning. But logically, wishing to visit happened after returning, not before. So 'had wished' is semantically inappropriate here.
3. Choose between simple past and past continuous: 'Was wishing' implies the act of wishing was ongoing at that past moment, which sounds awkward for a decision. 'Wished' (simple past) describes a completed desire — natural and idiomatic.