Directions (38-42): In each of the following sentences, a part of the sentence has been bold. Below are given alternatives to the bold part which may improve the sentence. Choose the correct alternative. Wherever no improvement is needed, choose ‘No replacement required’ as the answer. The train left before I reached the station.

Explanation

The correct substitution is had left before I reached. Explanation: When two actions happen in the past, the earlier action should be in past perfect tense, and the later action in simple past tense. • Action 1 (earlier): The train left. • Action 2 (later): I reached the station. So, correct structure: “The train had left before I reached the station.” (a) left before I had reached → Incorrect. This makes it sound like “my reaching” happened earlier, which is wrong. (b) left before I reach → Incorrect. Present tense doesn’t fit. (c) left before I have reached → Incorrect. Present perfect doesn’t fit. (d) had left before I reached → Correct. Follows past perfect (earlier) + simple past (later). (e) No replacement required → Incorrect, because original sentence misses the perfect tense.