By the time the inspector arrived, the crew ______ already shut off the water to the building.
Vocabulary and Grammar in Context · ELPAC Grades 9–10 reading. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
Extra practice, not a separate task on the real test: a sentence with one word missing, testing the vocabulary and grammar the passages assume.
The question
Read the sentence. Choose the word that best completes it.
By the time the inspector arrived, the crew ______ already shut off the water to the building.
- hadCorrect answer
- has
- having
Why “had” is correct
This tests the past perfect, which English uses to mark the earlier of two past events. 'By the time the inspector arrived' sets a point in the past, and shutting off the water happened before it, so 'had shut off' is required. Point out that 'by the time' almost always signals that one action finished before another.
Why the other answers are wrong
- has — 'Has shut off' is present perfect and would place the action in a period reaching up to now, which contradicts the past-tense 'arrived'.
- having — 'Having' cannot serve as the tensed verb of the main clause here.
Practice more of this
More reading practice for Grades 9–10, or see the ELPAC practice test for grades 9–10. For other grades, see free ELPAC practice tests by grade.
This is an independent study resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the California Department of Education or the official ELPAC program. All questions here are original practice material written to match the published task formats.