We _________ tennis in the lawn when it suddenly started to rain.
Select the most appropriate option to complete the above sentence.
A. have been playing B. had been playing C. would have been playing D. could be playing
GATE 2025 · General Aptitude · Tenses · easy
Answer: The correct answer is B. had been playing — past perfect continuous is used for an activity ongoing before a past interrupting event.
Locate the interrupting event: 'It suddenly started to rain' is in simple past — a moment-in-time past event.
Determine the nature of the main clause activity: Playing tennis was an ongoing activity in the past, not a single completed action. It needs a continuous (progressive) aspect.
Select past perfect continuous vs present perfect continuous: Since the entire context is in the past (no connection to the present), present perfect continuous ('have been playing') is wrong. Past perfect continuous 'had been playing' correctly marks an activity ongoing before a past point.