Answer the following question below and choose the option that best completes the gap(s) I wanted to know his political beliefs, so l asked him what........

Analyze the question The sentence is: "I wanted to know his political beliefs, so I asked him what ........"

It tests two things: subject-verb agreement and sequence of tenses in reported (indirect) speech.

Explain the concept

1. "Beliefs" is plural, so the pronoun must be plural: they (not "this"), with a plural verb (were/are).
2. The main clause, "I wanted" and "I asked," is in the past tense. In reported speech, the verb in the noun clause normally shifts to the past too. So "are" becomes "were."

The direct question would have been: "What are your political beliefs?" When reported after a past-tense verb, it becomes "...I asked him what they were."

Solution

• A. this was: singular "this" doesn't match "beliefs" ❌
• B. these are: plural, but the tense is present and doesn't follow the past-tense sequence ❌ (it is also less natural here)
• C. this is: singular and present ❌
• D. they were: plural and past tense, so it agrees with "beliefs" and fits the sequence of tenses ✅

Answer: D. they were

Exam tip In reported speech, check two things: (1) does the pronoun match the noun it refers to in number? (2) does the tense follow the main verb? If the main verb is past ("asked," "wanted"), the clause that follows usually goes into the past too.