Choose the sentence that shows correct use of tense in a past-before-past context: 'The committee had approved the plan before it submitted the report.'

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Multiple Choice

Choose the sentence that shows correct use of tense in a past-before-past context: 'The committee had approved the plan before it submitted the report.'

Explanation:
In a past-before-past situation, the earlier action is shown with past perfect, and the later action with simple past. The sentence uses had approved for the earlier action and submitted for the later one, which makes clear that the plan was approved before the report was submitted. Using any present tense in either clause would disrupt the clear sequence of events in the past, and other phrasings mix tenses in a way that doesn’t reflect the order of events.

In a past-before-past situation, the earlier action is shown with past perfect, and the later action with simple past. The sentence uses had approved for the earlier action and submitted for the later one, which makes clear that the plan was approved before the report was submitted. Using any present tense in either clause would disrupt the clear sequence of events in the past, and other phrasings mix tenses in a way that doesn’t reflect the order of events.

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