Directions: Choose the appropriate word/phrase from the given options and fill in the blank.

The child was ______ my hand so tightly that I could not pull it away.

'Was holding' is the correct past continuous tense form describing an ongoing action in the past. The child's grip was continuous, so we use the -ing form. 'Holded' is grammatically incorrect - 'hold' is an irregular verb (hold-held-held). 'Catching' doesn't fit the context of gripping, and 'seizing' implies taking by force rather than holding.