[Grammar] Multiple Choice Option [Since I turned 18 I .....]

[sb70012]

Since I turned 18 they …….. to give me driving lessons.

a)tried
b)are trying
c)were trying
d)have been trying (Answer Key)

Hi,
In my opinion it's not a good standard test. Because all options seem correct to me.

Because I turned 18 they tried to give me driving lessons.
Because I turned 18 they are trying to give me driving lessons.
Because I turned 18 they were trying to give me driving lessons.
Since the time I turned 18 they have been trying to give me driving lessons.

You see how complicated it is to me!
Any opinion?
Source: Found in school exam sheets
Thank you

 

[Pangus]

It took me a while to realize where the 'because' came from so I guess it's not such an obvious usage to a native; it sounds very informal using 'since' in that way so maybe I just wasn't expecting it in an exam question. Yes, all answers seem to make sense.

 

[sb70012]

Yes, all answers seem to make sense.

Really?

 

[Pangus]

Really - although I would add a comma after '18'. A and c might be better with 'had turned' but I probably couldn't say they were incorrect as they are.

 

[emsr2d2]

I don't know where the "Because" sentences came from unless you were just trying to show why you think all answers are possible.

If the exam question used the word "Since" then that is what must be used in the answer. Having said that, it isn't possible to tell whether "Since" in the question is supposed to mean "Because" or "From the time that". Logic dictates, to me, that it means the latter but many of these test questions are not logical. For the purposes of the exercise I would have to assume that they meant "From the time that" purely because, if that is the case, only one of the answers is correct. If it meant "Because", there would be more than one correct answers and tests should never allow that (note that I said "should"!)

 

[MikeNewYork]

I don't know where the "Because" sentences came from unless you were just trying to show why you think all answers are possible.

If the exam question used the word "Since" then that is what must be used in the answer. Having said that, it isn't possible to tell whether "Since" in the question is supposed to mean "Because" or "From the time that". Logic dictates, to me, that it means the latter but many of these test questions are not logical. For the purposes of the exercise I would have to assume that they meant "From the time that" purely because, if that is the case, only one of the answers is correct. If it meant "Because", there would be more than one correct answers and tests should never allow that (note that I said "should"!)

I agree with your analysis. It is a bad question, but If I had to choose, I would choose the one in which the meaning of "since" is different from the others.

 

[Boris Tatarenko]

Hello guys,
I really don't understand why this question is appeared.

Everyone who's studying in the school/university know that words such as "since, before, til, until, yet, never, ever and etc." are indicators of perfect tense.

As we can see your sentence is "since I turned 18 they …….. to give me driving lessons." I don't know and how someone can use another tense.

I think you should know try to figure out all English tenses. It's not difficult and it's essential.
My English is not pretty good as well, but I'm totaly sure I'm right.

 

[Boris Tatarenko]

I wrote that message, because I don't undertstand why it's so confused.

 

[5jj]

Everyone who's studying in the school/university know that words such as "since, before, til, until, yet, never, ever and etc." are indicators of perfect tense.

They frequently are used with perfect forms, but there is no law that says they must be - especially when 'since' has a meaning similar to 'because/as'.