[Grammar] the performers have rehearsed

[Oceanlike]

This is a multi-choice grammar question. I would have written ‘had rehearsed’ if it’s not a MCQ question.
I don’t understand why ‘have rehearsed’ being a present perfect could be the correct answer. I’m confused. What have I failed to understand in the use of present perfect in this case?

The performers ____________ their dance routine before they boarded the coach to the competition venue.
(a) rehearse
(b) rehearsed
(c) have rehearsed
(d) were rehearsing

Thank you!

 

[Rover_KE]

Please use Edit Post to correct 'bought' both times you wrote it.

 

[Oceanlike]

Oh sorry. I did not realise my mistakes there.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Why did you not correct them as you had already realized them?

 

[emsr2d2]

Oceanlike had not realised he/she had made those mistakes until they were pointed out. However, the errors have still not been corrected in post #1. Oceanlike, please do what you were asked to do by Rover.

 

[Oceanlike]

Why did you not correct them as you had already realized them?

Oh...i see. Okay I do it right now. Sorry

 

[Oceanlike]

Oceanlike had not realised he/she had made those mistakes until they were pointed out. However, the errors have still not been corrected in post #1. Oceanlike, please do what you were asked to do by Rover.

So sorry. What happened was that I had failed to understand that Rover was telling me to correct my errors there and then. I had unwittingly interpreted his message as "in future, use Edit Post to correct my mistakes". I don't know why I had interpreted it that way now that I re-read his message. So sorry.

 

[Raymott]

But you still haven't done it. In any case, "have rehearsed" is not right.

 

[emsr2d2]

It's a poor question because two answers are possible. Neither of them is "have rehearsed".

 

[Oceanlike]

But you still haven't done it.

I don't understand why you said that I still have not done it. I corrected both times that I had written 'bought' wrongly, replacing the wrong verb 'bought' with the correct verb ' rehearsed' - twice. Please see my first post, under the 'last edited section - Last edited by Oceanlike; 10-Oct-2016 at 18:23. Reason: Correct wrong verb written (bought changed to rehearsed)

 

[Oceanlike]

It's a poor question because two answers are possible. Neither of them is "have rehearsed".

Yes, I agree it's a poor question. Besides, "had rehearsed" as a correct answer, what is the other possible answer?

Thank you.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I think (b) and (d) are possible because they are the past tense.