5. Complete the following sentence with a word or words that show a logical relationship.
Joshua took a nap _______ sorting the mail.
A. instead of
B. after
C. while
D. before
I picked D, because we cannot use while, since a person cannot sort mail while sleeping. We cannot use after, because the sentence implies that the first action was done in the past before the second action took place implied by the verbs took and sorting. We cannot use instead of, since the sentence format is not in the past perfect progressive. Is my thinking correct or am I way off?
Your thinking is correct! The word that best fits the sentence is option D, "before." By using the word "before," the sentence suggests that Joshua took a nap first, and then proceeded to sort the mail. This shows a logical relationship between the two actions.
As you mentioned, using the word "while" wouldn't make sense because it implies doing two actions simultaneously, which is not possible in this context. "After" would imply that Joshua took a nap after sorting the mail, which doesn't match the intended order of the actions. And "instead of" wouldn't be suitable because it implies a substitution or replacement of one action with another, which is also not what the sentence is conveying.
So, well done on your reasoning and selecting the correct answer!