Correct Answer - Option 4 : Had been playing
The correct answer is 'Had been playing'.
- The given sentence is in the present continuous tense.
-
The past perfect continuous tense also known as the past perfect progressive tense shows that an action that started in the past continued up until another time in the past.
- The past perfect continuous tense constructed using had been+the verb's present participle(root+ ing).
- For example:
- I had been working in at the company for five years when I got the promotion.
- Thus, option 4 will be the correct answer.
Hence, the correct sentence is: The boys had been playing cricket.
- The present continuous indicates verb tense indicates that an action or condition is happening now, frequently, and may continue into the future.
- The structure of the present continuous tense is: subject+is/are/am+1st+ing+object.
-
For example:
- He is talking to his friend.
