We got to the hall after the płay … started.

Analyze the question

The sentence is: "We got to the hall after the play ____ started." We need the word that correctly completes the verb phrase with "started."

Explain the concept

When two past events happen one after the other, we use:

• Simple past for the later event (we got to the hall)
• Past perfect (had + past participle) for the earlier event (the play started)

The past perfect shows that one action was already completed before another past action.

Show the solution

1. "We got to the hall" is in the simple past, so it is the later event.
2. The play started before we arrived, so it is the earlier event and needs the past perfect: had started.
3. Checking the other options: • A. "is started" is present tense and passive. It does not fit a past situation. • B. "have started" is present perfect and clashes with the past tense "got." • D. "was started" is passive and awkward. A play does not "get started" by itself in this context, and the sentence needs the past perfect. • C. "had started" is the past perfect and is correct.

Answer

The correct option is C. had.

Tip: When you see after or before linking two past events, look for the past perfect (had + past participle) on the event that happened first. For example: "After she had eaten, she left."