Sentence improvement

B would be my choice.

Ank, made it only as far as (C) before almost literally wearing out, forgive an old fella

I can't put my finger on it. Has some of the alternate implications below but then in addition somehow seems a slight bit wordy (forgive intentional alliteration). Perhaps it's the relation between "flew" and "flown". If you add a comma after "flown," it means the second didn't fly away: Instead he might have stuck around after takeoff

Kidding of course Ank. But....

...assuming of course that what you mean is that there was a delay between the first takeoff and the second, of unspecified duration, but that the two might have acted somewhat differently in the flight. I might've writ

The second pigeon flew away just as the first
The second pigeon flew off just as the first had
The second pigeon flew off just as the first pigeon had

If you add a comma after "flew off'" it might be assumed that the asker had inquired just exactly what it was that the second had done

Suggests the second took off almost immediately after the first (or "at the same moment" or "just after") but if not, that the second pigeon might have flown just like the first one had ; same expression, same sound, same flapping, same direction

Adding comma gets really complicated, but suggests the asker had been expecting him to leave by some other means; although not necessarily in the same way....



Also okay , pretty much as (A)

Another way to conclude: Lacking context, a variety of meanings might be inferred

But can't stay: Mom has come home with ice cream

This question was asked in my exam and I marked (B). Now, my teacher says (A) should be the answer.

Your instructor is not a native speaker of English, i take it. A, B and C can all be used.

That's interesting Ank 'cause A doesn't have quite the same meaning. In A after takeoff both might have hovered for a while whereas in B it's pretty certain they both had probably left for good and therefore I would have selected B also

When something feels awkward, sometimes a rewording is in order.
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Like the first pigeon, the second pigeon had also flown away.

Yea Glenn, though I might've said "second one," or even deleted the noun entirely or
Like the first one, the second pigeon...

Yes, better.

Thanks Glenn, it's not everyday...