The woolly mammoth roamed across vast regions of the Northern Hemisphere during the Pleistocene epoch, surviving in isolated populations long...

Sentence Structure

• The woolly mammoth roamed across vast regions of the Northern Hemisphere
  • during the Pleistocene epoch,
  • surviving in isolated populations
    • long after the last ice age ended.
• The species [was/will be/is/has been] classified as extinct
  • around 1650 BCE,
    • when the last known population disappeared from Wrangel Island.

Understanding the Meaning

The first sentence gives us background about the woolly mammoth:

• It roamed across vast regions of the Northern Hemisphere
• This was during the Pleistocene epoch
• These mammoths survived in isolated populations
  • even long after the last ice age ended

So we're learning about the history of this extinct species.

Now the second sentence tells us about when extinction happened:

• 'The species _____ classified as extinct around 1650 BCE'

This is where we have the blank. Let's look at our choices:

• was (simple past)
• will be (future)
• is (present)
• has been (present perfect - connecting past to present)

Now here's where we can figure out what we need. Let's look at the time clues:

• 'around 1650 BCE'
  • This is a specific time in the distant past
  • 1650 BCE was thousands of years ago
• The sentence continues: 'when the last known population disappeared from Wrangel Island'
  • 'disappeared' is past tense
  • This confirms we're talking about something that happened in the past

What do we notice about the timing here?

• We have a specific point in the past: around 1650 BCE
• We're describing when the classification happened
• This is a completed action at a specific historical moment

So we need was - the simple past tense.

• The classification happened at a specific time in the past
• We use simple past for completed actions at definite times in the past
• 'The species was classified as extinct around 1650 BCE' describes a historical event that happened and was completed at that specific time

The correct answer is A: was

GRAMMAR CONCEPT APPLIED

Using Simple Past Tense with Specific Past Time Markers

When a sentence includes a specific time marker that refers to a definite point in the past, you need to use simple past tense (sometimes called the past simple in grammar terms), not present perfect or other tenses.

Simple Past with Specific Past Time:

• The species was classified as extinct around 1650 BCE
  • 'was classified' = simple past
  • 'around 1650 BCE' = specific past time marker
  • These work together to describe a completed historical event

Why Not Present Perfect:

• Present perfect (has/have + past participle) is used for:
  • Actions at unspecified times: 'Scientists have discovered many fossils'
  • Actions connecting past to present: 'This species has been extinct for centuries'
  • But NOT with specific past time markers

The Pattern:

• Specific past time (1650 BCE, yesterday, last week, in 2010) → Simple Past
• Unspecified time or continuing relevance → Present Perfect

In our sentence, 'around 1650 BCE' is a specific historical moment, so we need the simple past 'was classified' to match that definite time reference.