It seems that she was there at the conference = ?

[eeshu]

"It seems that she was there at the conference." The sentence means that ________.
A) she seems to be there at the conference.
B) she seemed to be there at the conference.
C) she seems to have been there at the conference.
D) she seemed to being there at the conference.

The above is a test item and the answer provided is C. But the answer sounds odd to me. I'm more inclined to choose B, as "was" clearly indicates her being at the conference was a state of the past. Can anyone help me with it? Thanks in advance.

 

[emsr2d2]

It's a pretty appalling question, in my opinion. For a start, the word "there" is completely unnecessary in the main sentence and all the other options.
A and D are wrong. The other two, with "was" and "to have been" denote the past.

 

[eeshu]

For a start, the word "there" is completely unnecessary in the main sentence and all the other options.

But as required by the instructions, there is only one correct answer. Does option C also refer to a past state? B or C, which is better?

 

[eeshu]

B does not mean the same as the original.

Could you be more specific about their different meanings?

 

[Matthew Wai]

I think B means 'It seemed that she was at the conference'.