The director asked the candidates whether they ______ any previous experience managing enterprise cloud infrastructure.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. had
- Step 1: Apply backshift in reported speech: The reporting verb 'asked' is in the past tense, requiring the reported question to shift from present perfect/simple present to past tense.
- Step 2: The correct backshifted verb form is 'had'.
Answer
had.
Why not the others: 'have' fails to backshift into the past; 'are having' is present continuous and unidiomatic for stative possession; 'will have' is future tense.
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