Choose the correct form of verb given in bracket for the blank :
They ....... in the river yesterday (swim)

Q: Choose the correct form of verb given in bracket for the blank : They ....... in the river yesterday (swim)

The correct option is 2: The correct option is 2: \[swam\]. The sentence structure, "They ....... in the river yesterday (swim)," clearly indicates that an action was completed at a specific point in the past. The presence of the time marker "yesterday" demands the use of the Simple Past tense. For the irregular verb "to swim," the Simple Past tense form is "swam" (swim - swam - swum). Therefore, to correctly state the completed action, the verb must be in its Simple Past form, making the complete and grammatically correct sentence: "They swam in the river yesterday." The incorrect option is 1: [swimming]. "Swimming" is the present participle form of the verb. It is used in continuous tenses (e.g., "They were swimming") or as a gerund or noun. It cannot stand alone in the blank to complete the Simple Past tense sentence. The incorrect option is 3: [swum]. "Swum" is the past participle form of the verb. The past participle is typically used with auxiliary verbs like "have," "has," or "had" to form perfect tenses (e.g., "They had swum"). It is incorrect to use the past participle by itself in the Simple Past tense. The incorrect option is 4: [swims]. "Swims" is the third-person singular form of the Simple Present tense (He/She/It swims). This tense is used for habitual actions or facts and is grammatically incorrect when the subject is "They" and the time reference is "yesterday."

Question

Choose the correct form of verb given in bracket for the blank :
 They ....... in the river yesterday (swim)

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 2:
The correct option is 2: $$swam$$. The sentence structure, "They ....... in the river yesterday (swim)," clearly indicates that an action was completed at a specific point in the past. The presence of the time marker "yesterday" demands the use of the Simple Past tense. For the irregular verb "to swim," the Simple Past tense form is "swam" (swim - swam - swum). Therefore, to correctly state the completed action, the verb must be in its Simple Past form, making the complete and grammatically correct sentence: "They swam in the river yesterday."

The incorrect option is 1: [swimming]. "Swimming" is the present participle form of the verb. It is used in continuous tenses (e.g., "They were swimming") or as a gerund or noun. It cannot stand alone in the blank to complete the Simple Past tense sentence. The incorrect option is 3: [swum]. "Swum" is the past participle form of the verb. The past participle is typically used with auxiliary verbs like "have," "has," or "had" to form perfect tenses (e.g., "They had swum"). It is incorrect to use the past participle by itself in the Simple Past tense. The incorrect option is 4: [swims]. "Swims" is the third-person singular form of the Simple Present tense (He/She/It swims). This tense is used for habitual actions or facts and is grammatically incorrect when the subject is "They" and the time reference is "yesterday."