Question

Fill in the blank with the most suitable option:
He __________ football for two hours before his mother called him for dinner.

• A. is playing
• B. had played
• C. had been playing
• D. has played

Answer 1

The correct option is C had been playing

Here, 'had been playing' in present perfect continuous is correct because it is used to indicate an action that started at some point in the past and may or may not be complete. Here, 'for two hours' indicate an action that started at some point in the past.
'Is playing' in present continuous is incorrect because it implies an action going on at the time of speaking.
'Had played' in past perfect is incorrect because it is used to indicate a completed action of the past that happened before another event took place.
'Has played' in present perfect is incorrect because it is used to indicate an action which started in the past and has continued up untill now.