Which verb best completes 'We () happy to see our daughter because she had been away for months'?

Which verb best completes 'We () happy to see our daughter because she had been away for months'?

• A. Were
• B. Are
• C. Is
• D. Will be

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is matching tense to the time frame of the events. They saw their daughter in the past, after she had been away for months, so the reaction they describe should also be in the past. Using the past form with a plural subject fits naturally: they were happy to see their daughter. The past perfect in the second part—she had been away for months—shows that her absence happened before that moment of seeing her, reinforcing why the happiness is tied to a past moment. The infinitive to see our daughter is a normal complement after be happy, expressing the reaction to the meeting. Using present tense would imply the happiness is happening now, which clashes with the completed absence; future would push the happiness into a time yet to come.

The key idea here is matching tense to the time frame of the events. They saw their daughter in the past, after she had been away for months, so the reaction they describe should also be in the past. Using the past form with a plural subject fits naturally: they were happy to see their daughter. The past perfect in the second part—she had been away for months—shows that her absence happened before that moment of seeing her, reinforcing why the happiness is tied to a past moment. The infinitive to see our daughter is a normal complement after be happy, expressing the reaction to the meeting. Using present tense would imply the happiness is happening now, which clashes with the completed absence; future would push the happiness into a time yet to come.