Question

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word:
He _______ the Defense Minister from 1989-95.

• A. was
• B. is
• C. has been
• D. were

Answer 1

The correct option is A was

Answer : A

Explanation:

The time frame, i.e. 1989-95, tells us that the "He" was the Defense Minister during that time in the past.

And to talk about something that happened in the past / before the present time, the past tense of the verb is used.

--was : past tense of "be"

--is : third person singular present of "be"

--has been : present perfect form of "be"

--were : second person singular of "be"

Thus, clearly the most suitable and grammatically correct alternative is "was".

Therefore the correct complete sentence is:

He WAS the Defense Minister from 1989-95.