Sentence improvement – past-time narration: Choose the correct past form to match the time marker 'Five years ago today' in a narrative sentence.

Given data

• Original: 'Five years ago today, I am sitting in a small Japanese car, driving across Poland towards Berlin.'

Concept/ApproachThe adverbial 'Five years ago today' fixes the action in the past; use past progressive to depict an action in progress at that past moment: 'I was sitting …, driving …'

Option analysis'sat' (simple past) is possible but loses the sense of ongoing action conveyed by 'driving …'; 'have been sitting' is present perfect progressive and incompatible with the definite past marker.

Improved sentence'Five years ago today, I was sitting in a small Japanese car, driving across Poland towards Berlin.'