Before you gave answers, sir . . . . . them to us.

Solution (By Examveda Team)

The correct answer is C: had sent.

This question tests your understanding of verb tenses, specifically the past perfect tense.

Past Perfect Tense: The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past. The structure is "had + past participle." It shows the sequence of events where one event happened earlier than another in the past.

In this sentence, the main action is "you gave answers" (past simple tense). The action of sending the answers happened before this giving of answers. Therefore, we need a verb tense that indicates an action completed in the past before another past action. This is precisely what the past perfect tense does.

Let's examine why the other options are incorrect:

A: sent: This is the simple past tense. It simply states that the sending occurred at some point in the past, but it doesn't establish the sequence of events relative to "you gave answers." It could imply the sending happened at the same time or after the giving of answers, which is incorrect according to the sentence's meaning.

B: will send: This is the future simple tense. It indicates an action that will happen in the future, which is completely inappropriate for describing an action that happened before another action in the past.

D: was sending: This is the past continuous tense. It describes an action that was in progress at a particular point in the past. However, the sentence implies a completed action (sending the answers), not an ongoing one. Thus, this option is also not grammatically correct in the given context.

Therefore, only "had sent" accurately reflects the sequence of events described in the sentence, making it the correct answer.