Want help from English native speakers—one English question!?

Question

Hello, I am an English teacher in China. I have one question just below. As explanations to this question differ greatly, I particularly want some help form the English native speakers. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot.
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--- Alice, why didn't you come yesterday?
---- I ____, but I had an unexpected visitor.
　A. had B. would C. was going to D. did

Answer 1

A) "I had come" or D) "I did come" - both imply that Alice came yesterday. But the rest of the sentence says she did not. So those two are wrong.

B "I would come" - implies that the act of coming is in the present or still in the future. But the rest of the sentence says it was yesterday. So that is not possible. Alice could, however, say "I would, but I HAVE an unexpected visitor" - meaning she is unable to come NOW. But the tense is wrong for an action yesterday.

C "I was going to come" is correct. "Was going to" means that you have a planned activity that was interrupted - in this case by an unexpected visitor. This is the correct answer.

Answer 2

The answer is c. The others dont fit. A )would mean alice HAD done what was being said.But she didnt do what she said she was going to do.B) I WOULD have- would be correct here as this then suggests past tense. C) this is the only answer that sounds correct and fluid when u say it. Alice did intend to come but was held up by the visitor.D) This suggets that Alice did come,which she didnt because of the visitor. Hope i helped

Answer 3

D! the answer is definitely D. She did go there- and an unexpected visitor showed- or whatever. She assumed that she did not go...read it again a few times and you will get it.....

I would not refer to it as proper English? the second sentence should read "I had planned to, but I had an unexpected visitor, or "I would have, but I had an unexpected visitor."
It IS NOT C!!
You can't have a verb followed by a pronoun with no noun? Like if you are "going" (verb) to (pronoun) theres no noun- "I was going to go there, but I had an unexpected visitor." The other way is a clause that is incomplete. "i was going to, but....."

Answer 4

C was going to.

In this case -had- and -did- mean the same thing. If that was the end of the answer : I did. would be correct. But in your answer, the rest of the sentence indicates that she did not. So it does not make sense to say I did, and then explain why she did not. A similar explanation applies to --had--. An answer that could include -had- might be: I had, but I did not see you, so I left. However, I think : I did, but I did not see you, so I left sounds better.

To use -would- I would say: I would have, but I had an unexpected visitor.

Answer 5

Of the choices you provide, C. is the best of the choices you have provided, you might also consider these responses
...Alice, why didn't you come yesterday?
....I would have come, but I had an unexpected visitor.
OR...I had planned to come, but I had an unexpected visitor.

Answer 6

Definitely B.

I was going to (come), but I had an unexpected visitor.

Answer 7

I am going for C, but the more I think about it, I would have said, "I would have come, but I had an unexpected visitor."

Answer 8

I WAS GOING TO but I had an unexpected visitor. It is No C. Are you a T E F L if so Snap.

Answer 9

Interesting question.

A. this is not right unless Alice actually did come. Even then it is not native speech.
B. no. You might say I would have come.
C. this would be colloquial speech. This is what I probably would say. It probably doesn't make sense if you parse it, but it is what most people would say.
D. no. This means that Alice came, (but no one was there to meet her?...or....? IT doesn't really make sense.

I think you would have to answer C.

Answer 10

Definitely C.