Verb tense sequencing – past perfect before a past action: complete the sentence with the correct form of "ring". Base sentence: "The telephone _____ several times before I answered it." Instruction: Apply narrative past rules where an earlier past action precedes another past action. Final instruction: Choose the verb form that shows prior completion before "answered".

Given data

• Two past-time actions: (1) phone rings repeatedly; (2) I answered.

Concept/Approach
Use past perfect to show an action completed before another past action: "had rung … before I answered."

Option analysis
had rung — correctly marks the earlier action finished before answering. ✅was ringing — past progressive; suggests ongoing action at the time of answering, not "before." ❌has rung — present perfect; ties to present time, not a past narrative. ❌would ring — habitual or future-in-the-past; not the given meaning. ❌

Quick check
Template: Had + past participle … before simple past.

Final Answer
had rung