Question : Select the most appropriate option to substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence. If there is no need to substitute it, select 'No substitution'.
The mother is slept while the child was playing.
Option 1: was slept
Option 2: No substitution
Option 3: was asleep
Option 4: is asleep
Correct Answer: was asleep
Solution : The correct choice is the third option .
The sentence describes an event that occurred in the past. Thus the past form of the verb was asleep is appropriate to maintain tense consistency in the sentence.
Therefore, the correct sentence is: "The mother was asleep while the child was playing".