How many verbs are in past continuous tense in the following sentence? During the storm, the villagers were shouting, the children were playing, and the dogs were barking.
Answer
3
The correct answer is 3 — Thus the sentence contains three past continuous verbs.
Step-by-step solution
- Locate the auxiliary verb ‘were’ which indicates past continuous.
- Identify the verb that follows each ‘were’: shouting, playing, barking.
- Count each pair: shouting, playing, barking gives 3 verbs.
- Thus the sentence contains three past continuous verbs.
Common mistake: Counting only the auxiliary verb ‘were’ or the base form instead of each verb‑ing.
Concept tested: Past continuous tense identification.
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