Question

Choose the correct word or phrase that completes the sentence correctly.

I ____ on this topic for some time before I realized my mistake.

• A. am speaking
• B. have been speaking
• C. speak
• D. had been speaking
• E. spoke

Answer 1

Answer: (D)

had been speaking

Option D is the correct answer because it is in the past perfect continuous tense. The past perfect continuous tense (also known as the past perfect progressive tense) shows that an action that started in the past continued up until another time in the past. In the given case, the action of speaking continued until the mistake was realized.

Options A, B, C and E are incorrect because they are not in the past perfect tense.