By the time the rescue team arrived at the summit, the climbers ______ for nearly twelve hours in the storm.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- A
have waited
- Bcheck_circle
had waited
- C
waited
- D
are waiting
Explanation
Past perfect "had waited" expresses an action completed before another past event ("arrived"). The sequencing requires past perfect.