Question

They _________ for such an outcome; it indeed ____________ them by surprise.

• A. had not bargained, took
• B. will not bargain, will take
• C. have not bargained, takes
• D. had bargained, took
• E.

Hint:

Use the past perfect tense for an action that was not completed before another action in the past. The simple past tense is used for actions that happened after that.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

1. Option A: Past perfect "had not bargained" for the earlier event, simple past "took" for the later one, correct sequence.
2. Option B: Wrongly shifts both verbs to the future.
3. Option C: Mixes present perfect and present simple, not past sequencing.
4. Option D: Reverses the meaning, implying they did prepare.

The correctly sequenced tenses are in option A, so the correct answer is Option A.