Complete the sentence with the suitable collocation.
The residents _________ now to just go about their lives.

Correct option is C

The correct option to fill in the blank is (c) felt free.
"Felt free" is the correct collocation and verb phrase used in past simple tense. The subject "residents" is plural, so "felt" correctly agrees with it and conveys a completed past action.
Example: The students felt free to express their thoughts after the teacher encouraged them.
Why other options are incorrect:
· (a) has felt free – Incorrect subject-verb agreement. "Residents" is plural, so "has" is wrong.
· (b) has been felt freed – Grammatically incorrect; “been felt freed” is an invalid construction.
· (d) feel freed – Present tense with past context is inappropriate and sounds awkward.
�� Grammar Rule Used:
Subject-Verb Agreement in past tense with plural subject uses "felt" (past of feel) + adjective ("free").
Structure: Subject + past verb + complement.