Diamondrg  +  200613 Fri, 24 Feb 06 09:45 PM Which one(s) is / are correct?   Many Egypt’s ruins are unfortunately being destroyed by the very people who ---- hired to fix them. A) were B) have been C) are Diamondrg Joined on Fri, Dec 2 2005 Contributing Member 1,043 Simple Past

	Clive  +  200620 Fri, 24 Feb 06 10:30 PM Hi, Which one(s) is / are correct?   Many of Egypt’s ruins are unfortunately being destroyed by the very people who ---- hired to fix them. A) were B) have been C) are   Definitely B. But, after hesitation, I'd consider A to be acceptable, and even C at a stretch. Clive Clive Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004 Canada Veteran Member 29,594 El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo Simple Past

	Clive  +  200622 Fri, 24 Feb 06 10:34 PM Hi, Please read again. You caught me while I was changing my answer! Clive Clive

	MrPedantic  +  200637 Sat, 25 Feb 06 12:44 AM I think I'd choose A, B, and C, in that order. MrP MrPedantic Joined on Tue, Oct 12 2004 Veteran Member 12,592 ...opella forensis / adducit febris...

	milky  +  200853 Sat, 25 Feb 06 08:05 PM  MrPedantic wrote: I think I'd choose A, B, and C, in that order. MrP For me: B, A, C. milky Joined on Thu, Jan 15 2004 Senior Member 3,149 Hume said that if we had perfect or complete descriptive knowledge of reality, we could not, by reasoning, derive a single valid "ought". Simple Past

	Rex  +  200858 Sat, 25 Feb 06 08:16 PM The monument is being built by some workers. This is an ongoing activity. So the B alternative is correct. What is the reason for accepting 'were' ?  It is the past tense; so doesn't refer to an ongoing activity. Rex Joined on Wed, Jul 28 2004 Full Member 358 Tenses, Simple Past, Past Tenses

	Clive  +  200862 Sat, 25 Feb 06 08:28 PM Hi, What is the reason for accepting 'were' ?  It is the past tense; so doesn't refer to an ongoing activity. It doesn't necessarily have to refer to an ongoing activity.   who were hired to fix them can just be taken as a clause describing people. It's just remarking that they were hired in the past. Best wishes, Clive Clive Tenses, Clauses, Simple Past, Past Tenses