John........very depressed since he lost his job.

[abo.omar]

John........very depressed since he lost his job.

a-was
b- has been
c- had been
d- is
My answer is a yet I think b and d are possible.
The source is a Facebook educational group,

 

[Tdol]

B) is definitely correct. I wouldn't use the others.

 

[Glizdka]

Would A and D be correct if "since" was used with the meaning of "because"?

 

[probus]

I guess so Gliz. That ambiguity is the reason I avoid using since for because. But many native speakers in my part of the world treat them as freely interchangeable synonyms.

 

[emsr2d2]

Abo.omar, I'm curious - do you ever point out the problems with the questions on that Facebook group (I mean the problems that we spot and tell you about)?

 

[Tdol]

Would A and D be correct if "since" was used with the meaning of "because"?

Yes, but that does not strike me as a very likely interpretation.

 

[abo.omar]

Abo.omar, I'm curious - do you ever point out the problems with the questions on that Facebook group (I mean the problems that we spot and tell you about)?

The problem is that many people ask questions and many other people answer these questions, but they give different answers. Here is the very problem that I am so curious to know which answer is the correct one.So I come here to know the correct answers.

 

[emsr2d2]

The problem is that many people ask questions and many other people answer these questions, but they give different answers. [STRIKE]Here is the very problem that I am so[/STRIKE] That makes me curious to know which answer is the correct one no full stop here so I come here to [STRIKE]know[/STRIKE] find out. [STRIKE]the correct answers.[/STRIKE]

Don't the people who set the questions eventually say what they consider to be the correct answer? If not, it's a really pointless exercise!

However, that wasn't my question. I asked if you ever point out their errors on that Facebook page. If I were you, after you've had responses on this forum, I'd go back to the FB page and say "The wonderful, friendly and very knowledgeable people at Using English have looked at this question and told me that only B is possible in that sentence"! That would be particularly useful if the question setter had said, for example, that C is correct, or that A, B and D were all possible.

 

[abo.omar]

Don't the people who set the questions eventually say what they consider to be the correct answer? If not, it's a really pointless exercise!

However, that wasn't my question. I asked if you ever point out their errors on that Facebook page. If I were you, after you've had responses on this forum, I'd go back to the FB page and say "The wonderful, friendly and very knowledgeable people at Using English have looked at this question and told me that only B is possible in that sentence"! That would be particularly useful if the question setter had said, for example, that C is correct, or that A, B and D were all possible.

I do. I take images of your answers and put links to the answers.

 

[Tdol]

What are the aims of the Facebook group?

 

[Tarheel]

If John is deceased (dead) you could say John had been depressed since losing his job.

 

[abo.omar]

What are the aims of the Facebook group?

To exchange information, ask and answer questions and so on