Question:
In each of the following sentences, a part of the sentence is underlined. Beneath each sentence, four different ways of phrasing the underlined part are indicated. Choose the best alternative from among the four. (The underlined part is shown in bold.)
It was us who had left before he arrived.
In each of the following sentences, a part of the sentence is underlined. Beneath each sentence, four different ways of phrasing the underlined part are indicated. Choose the best alternative from among the four. (The underlined part is shown in bold.)
It was us who had left before he arrived.
It was us who had left before he arrived.
Show Hint
After "It was", a pronoun that names the doer takes the subject form. Also check the verb form after "had".
Updated On: Nov 4, 2026
- we who had left before he arrived.
- us who had went before he arrived.
- us who had went before had arrived.
- we who had left before time he had arrived.
Show Solution
Verified By Collegedunia
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Choose the pronoun:
After "It was" the pronoun is a complement of the verb "was" and names who did the action ("who had left"). In formal English this takes the subject form "we", not "us". So the options with "us" ((2) and (3)) are wrong.
Step 2: Check the verb and the rest:
"Had left" is the correct past perfect of "leave"; "had went" in (2) and (3) is wrong, because the past participle is "gone", not "went". Option (4) inserts "before time" and uses "had arrived", which changes the meaning and makes the sentence awkward.
Step 3: Decide:
Option (1) "we who had left before he arrived" has the correct pronoun, the correct verb forms and no unneeded words.
Final Answer:
The correct option is (1): we who had left before he arrived.
After "It was" the pronoun is a complement of the verb "was" and names who did the action ("who had left"). In formal English this takes the subject form "we", not "us". So the options with "us" ((2) and (3)) are wrong.
Step 2: Check the verb and the rest:
"Had left" is the correct past perfect of "leave"; "had went" in (2) and (3) is wrong, because the past participle is "gone", not "went". Option (4) inserts "before time" and uses "had arrived", which changes the meaning and makes the sentence awkward.
Step 3: Decide:
Option (1) "we who had left before he arrived" has the correct pronoun, the correct verb forms and no unneeded words.
Final Answer:
The correct option is (1): we who had left before he arrived.
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