Read the sentence below, and then choose the best answer to the question that follows.
"By the time I arrived at the party, most of the guests had already left."
The sentence is in the
Correct: B
The sentence is in the past perfect tense, as indicated by the phrase "had already left." This phrase shows that one event (the guests leaving) occurred before another event (the speaker arriving) in the past. Therefore, choice B is the correct answer. Choice A is incorrect, as the simple past tense would not convey the same relationship between the two events. Choice C is incorrect, as the present perfect tense is used to describe an action that started in the past and continues up to the present. Choice D is incorrect, as the past progressive tense is used to describe an ongoing action in the past.