Three weeks ___ I returned from my holiday, I received something interesting in the post.

Three weeks ___ I returned from my holiday, I received something interesting in the post.

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

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested here is how to show that one past event happened later than another. When you want to say that something occurs after an event, you use after. In this sentence, returning from the holiday happened first, and three weeks later, something arrived in the post. “Three weeks after I returned” is the natural way to express that timing. Using the other options would change the meaning or sound odd: - before would place the event earlier than returning, which doesn’t fit the idea of something happening later. - during would refer to the same period as the act of returning, not a separate moment after it. - since would point to a span from a past point up to now and sounds off with the simple past “I received,” unless you rework the sentence with a present perfect structure.

The main idea being tested here is how to show that one past event happened later than another. When you want to say that something occurs after an event, you use after. In this sentence, returning from the holiday happened first, and three weeks later, something arrived in the post. “Three weeks after I returned” is the natural way to express that timing.

Using the other options would change the meaning or sound odd:

• before would place the event earlier than returning, which doesn’t fit the idea of something happening later.

• during would refer to the same period as the act of returning, not a separate moment after it.

• since would point to a span from a past point up to now and sounds off with the simple past “I received,” unless you rework the sentence with a present perfect structure.