Question

Fill in blank [1] with a suitable verb form:

• A. start
• B. started
• C. had started
• D. had been started

Answer 1

The correct option is B started

The context refers to an action that happened in the past and was completed in the past itself. Hence, B "started" is correct as it is the past participle form of the verb "start".
A is incorrect as "start" is the base form of the verb and is used in simple present tense.
C is incorrect as "had started is used in the past perfect tense and is used to talk about actions that were completed before some point in the past.
D is incorrect as "had been started" is grammatically incorrect as "had been + verb (ing) form" is used in past perfect continuous tense and shows that an action that started in the past continued up until another time in the past.