To complete the sentence, we need to choose the correct verb form that fits the context. The sentence is in the past tense, indicating an action that was happening at a specific moment in the past when another action occurred (the phone ringing). This is a classic scenario for using the past continuous tense.
Let's break down the steps to find the correct answer:
1. **Identify the Tense Needed**:
- The main clause "I'm sorry I missed your call" indicates that the event (missing the call) happened in the past.
- The phrase "I simply didn't hear the phone ring" also supports that we are dealing with past events.
- Therefore, the action of taking a shower was ongoing at the time of the call, which is why the past continuous tense is appropriate here.
2. **Forming the Past Continuous Tense**:
- The past continuous tense is formed using the past tense of the verb "to be" (was/were) followed by the present participle (verb + -ing).
- For the subject "I", we use "was".
3. **Applying the Verb "Take"**:
- The base form of the verb is "take".
- The present participle of "take" is "taking".
4. **Construct the Sentence**:
- Combine "was" with "taking" to form "was taking".
Putting it all together, the completed sentence is:
"I was taking a shower and I simply didn't hear the phone ring."
This construction correctly uses the past continuous tense to show that the shower was an ongoing action when the phone rang.
