Read the sentence and choose the correct answer. Fleming ... his work until his death in 1955.

The correct answer is:

The sentence describes an action that continued up to a specific point in the past (his death in 1955). This indicates the use of the past perfect tense, which is used to show an action that happened before another action or time in the past.

Let's analyze the options:

• continue: This is the base form of the verb, used in the present tense. It doesn't fit the past context.
• was continuing: This is the past continuous tense, used for actions that were ongoing over a period in the past, but it doesn't strongly connect to the specific endpoint of 'his death in 1955' as a completed past action.
• continued: This is the simple past tense. While it indicates a past action, the phrase 'until his death in 1955' suggests an action that was completed *before* or *up to* that point, making the past perfect a better fit to emphasize completion.
• had continued: This is the past perfect tense. It correctly describes an action (continuing his work) that was completed before another past event (his death in 1955).

Therefore, the most appropriate choice is 'had continued'.

Answer: had continued