Question

read the sentence
the forgery _______ so exquisite that it hung in the museum for the past two decades without discovery

which verb or verb phrase is in the correct tense to complete the sentence?

should be
is being
was
will be

Explanation:

Analyze the sentence structure and clues

Using the Verb Tense Consistency and Verb Tenses knowledge points

• The sentence contains the dependent clause "that it hung in the museum...".
• The verb "hung" is in the past tense.
• To maintain consistency, the main verb must also be in the past tense.

Evaluate the options

Using the Past Tense Verbs knowledge point

• "should be" is a modal verb phrase indicating recommendation or expectation.
• "is being" is in the present progressive tense.
• "was" is the simple past tense of the verb "to be".
• "will be" is in the simple future tense.
• Therefore, "was" is the only past tense option that fits.

Answer:

• should be
• is being
• was (Correct answer)
• will be