Question

ever since he retired last march, abner was practicing archery every day to qualify for the olympics.
which choice makes the sentence grammatically acceptable?
a no change
b had been practicing
c has been practicing
d is practicing

Explanation:

The sentence refers to an action that started in the past (last March, when Abner retired) and continues up to the present. The present perfect continuous tense ("has been practicing") is used for actions that began in the past and are still ongoing. The original "was practicing" (past continuous) describes a past action that is finished, which does not fit the context of "ever since he retired". "Had been practicing" (past perfect continuous) would require a later past event to anchor it, which is not present here. "Is practicing" (present continuous) only describes current action, not the ongoing duration since retirement.

Answer:

C. has been practicing