In each of the following questions, a sentence has been given with two blanks. For each question, five options are given, each containing two words. You have to choose the most suitable option that fits both the blanks grammatically and contextually. __________ going to the party, I stopped ___________ the store to pick up some snacks and drinks.

Explanation

The correct option to fill in the blanks is (d) Before, by. The sentence "Before going to the party, I stopped by the store to pick up some snacks and drinks" implies that the speaker made a stop at the store to buy some snacks and drinks prior to going to the party. The word "before" indicates the sequence of events, where the action of stopping at the store came before the action of going to the party. The preposition "by" in this context means "at" or "near," indicating the location of the store in relation to the speaker's path. So, "I stopped by the store" means "I made a quick stop at the store while on my way to the party."