Final answer:
The tense of the underlined verb 'had been attending' is Past Perfect Progressive, which describes an ongoing past action that was completed before another past action. The sentence shows that Rockwell was attending the art school before he dropped out to enroll in another institution. Option D is the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The tense of the underlined verb in the sentence 'Rockwell had been attending the New York School of Art when he dropped out and enrolled at the National Academy of Design' is Past Perfect Progressive. This tense is used to describe an action that was ongoing in the past and was completed at some point in the past, often before another action. In the sentence provided, Rockwell's attendance at the New York School of Art was an ongoing action that took place over a period of time in the past, which ended when he decided to drop out and enroll at another institution. The Past Perfect Progressive tense is formed with 'had been' followed by the present participle of the verb (attending). This indicates that the action of attending was in progress before he dropped out.
Examples of the Past Perfect Progressive Tense
Here are some additional examples to further illustrate the Past Perfect Progressive tense:
- She had been working there for five years when the company was acquired.
- They had been living in Paris for a decade before moving to London.
- I had been studying all night when I finally understood the concept.
Each of these examples shows an action that was in progress over a period of time before another action or time point in the past.
The correct option that identifies the tense of the underlined verb is D. Past Perfect Progressive.