Select the correct tense form from the options given :
Peter (try) to come in quietly but his mother (hear) him.

Question

Select the correct tense form from the options given : 
Peter (try) to come in quietly but his mother (hear) him.

Accepted Answer

Option 1, "tried, heard," is the correct answer because it uses the simple past tense, which is appropriate for describing actions that were completed in the past. In this sentence, both actions—Peter trying to come in quietly and his mother hearing him—are events that occurred at a specific time in the past. The simple past tense is used to indicate that these actions are completed and are not ongoing or habitual.

1. Explanation for Option 1:
   - "Tried" is the simple past tense of "try," indicating that Peter's attempt to come in quietly happened at a specific time in the past and is now complete.
   - "Heard" is the simple past tense of "hear," showing that Peter's mother heard him at that same specific time in the past. The use of the simple past tense for both verbs aligns the actions as completed events in the past.

2. Explanation for why other options are incorrect:
   - Option 2: "trying, hears"
     - "Trying" is the present participle form, which is not appropriate here because it suggests an ongoing action, not a completed one. "Hears" is the simple present tense, which is used for habitual actions or general truths, not specific past events.
   
   - Option 3: "was trying, was hearing"
     - Both verbs are in the past continuous tense, which is used to describe actions that were ongoing in the past. However, the context of the sentence suggests completed actions rather than ongoing ones. The past continuous tense would imply that the actions were in progress, which does not fit the context of the sentence.
   
   - Option 4: "is trying, hears"
     - "Is trying" is the present continuous tense, indicating an action currently in progress, and "hears" is the simple present tense. Both are inappropriate for describing past events, as the sentence clearly refers to actions that have already been completed.

In conclusion, Option 1 is the correct choice because it accurately uses the simple past tense to describe two completed actions that occurred in the past.