Question

Identify the best version of the sentence:
Incorrect: She was knowing the answer but didn't speak.

• A. She knows the answer but didn't speak.
• B. She was known the answer but didn't speak.
• C. She knew the answer but didn't speak.
• D. She had know the answer but didn't speak.

Hint:

Stative verbs like know, believe, love, or understand rarely take continuous forms (-ing). Match verb tenses to the sentence’s time frame (e.g., past with past). Test options by checking for tense consistency and correct verb forms.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

The sentence that best corrects the original is: She knew the answer but didn't speak.

Explanation:

• The original sentence "She was knowing the answer but didn't speak" is incorrect because the verb "know" is a stative verb and is not typically used in continuous forms.
• Option 1: "She knows the answer but didn't speak" is incorrect because it mixes present and past tenses inappropriately.
• Option 2: "She was known the answer but didn't speak" uses incorrect verb form and structure.
• Option 4: "She had know the answer but didn't speak" contains a grammatical error; it should be "had known."

Thus, "She knew the answer but didn't speak" correctly uses the past simple tense for both actions, aligning them appropriately in time.