The politician, known for his eloquence and persuasive rhetoric, (a) delivered (b) a compelling speech, (c) captivating the audience and (d) inspiring them (e) to take action.
Correct: A
The sentence describes a sequence of events in the past. The past tense "delivered" is appropriate because it shows that the speech was given at a specific point in the past. The other options change the intended meaning of the sentence. Thus, (A) is correct.