In the sentence about the holiday, which time expression indicates that the action happened after the holiday?

• A. After
• B. Before
• C. During
• D. Since

Answer: (A)

Time expressions tell us when something happens relative to another event. Here the reference point is the holiday, and we’re looking for a word that shows the action came later. The word after signals that the event occurred subsequent to the holiday—placing it after that time.

Before would mean the event happened earlier than the holiday. During would place it inside the holiday period. Since marks the starting point of an action that continues from that time up to the present, which isn’t the same as simply occurring after the holiday. So after is the natural choice to show a later action.