A black cow that . . . . . . . . in the field for some time did not return home in the evening.

Solution (By Examveda Team)

The sentence "A black cow that ________ in the field for some time did not return home in the evening." suggests a continuous action that occurred before another past event. The most appropriate option is "had been grazing," which indicates that the cow was engaged in the continuous action of grazing in the field for some time prior to the evening when it did not return home.

Option A: grazes
This option is incorrect because it uses the present tense form, which is not suitable for the past context of the sentence.

Option B: was grazing
This option is incorrect as it does not convey the necessary past perfect aspect of the action described in the sentence.

Option D: grazed
This option is incorrect because it uses the simple past tense, which does not convey the continuous and ongoing nature of the action before the specified time.

The correct answer is Option C: had been grazing, which accurately reflects the past perfect continuous tense needed to convey the intended meaning of the sentence.