Question

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word.
Mary’s hair looks nice. She’s just _____ to the hairdresser’s.
a) gone
b) been
c) was
d) went

Answer 1

Hint: The given sentence has one verb already. The blank is right after an adverb, and there is already an auxiliary which is contracted. So, we need a verb to fill the blank.

Complete answer:
The given blank is in a specific place, and the given sentences have the context to them. Let us look for pointers suggesting which tense to use. The actions are ongoing and presumably happened in the given sentence. These pointers are indicators of certain tenses.

For example, the first sentence indicates that the hair is currently looking nice. It is in the simple present tense. This is the effect. For the cause, we look to the second sentence. In the second sentence, the cause is her visit to the hairdressers. This means that the action has been completed. So, we are looking for a participle to go with the given auxiliary.

Now, we know what we are looking for. Let’s look at the given options:
a) gone - The word ‘gone’ is a participle of the verb ‘go’. This word indicates that the subject is still at the hairdresser’s, making it seem like the action is still ongoing. This is incorrect given the context of the sentence. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
b) been - The word ‘been’ is a participle of the verb ‘be’. This word indicates that the action has recently been completed, which makes perfect sense in the context of the given sentence. This is the required answer. So, this is the correct option.
c) was - The word ‘was’ is not a participle, it is used as an auxiliary. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
d) went - The word ‘went’ is the past tense of the verb ‘go’. This is not a participle. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.

Note:
Read the given sentence carefully, and try to understand the meaning of the sentence. Then, read the given options. Then, choose the option that you think sounds the most correct and fits perfectly into the given blank.