In the question a part of the sentence is italicized .
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In the question a part of the sentence is italicized. Alternatives to the italicized part are given which may improve the construction of the sentence. Select the correct alternative.
They were going home when it was starting to rain.
Show answer & explanation
The sentence describes two past actions: going home (main action) and rain starting (secondary action). Option A uses simple past "started," which correctly marks the rain beginning as a point-in-time event that interrupted the ongoing journey. The original phrase "was starting to rain" (progressive) is awkward; option B's "was raining" works but is less precise about when the rain began relative to leaving. Option C shifts tense to present, breaking consistency.
Step-by-step Derivation:
Analyze verb tense consistency: (1) Main clause: 'were going' = past continuous (ongoing action). (2) Subordinate clause describes when this was interrupted. (3) Option A 'started' = simple past (punctual event) — most natural for marking the moment rain began. (4) Option B 'was raining' = past continuous (describes state, less clear temporal boundary). (5) Option C 'is starting' = present tense (breaks past tense sequence). (6) Original 'was starting' = awkward progressive form of an already-punctual event. Best choice: A.