Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word. The great English scientist Isaac Newton ______ not far from Cambridge.

The correct answer is: was born.

The verb “to be” is conjugated in the past tense to agree with the subject, which is “Isaac Newton.” The other options are incorrect because they are not conjugated in the past tense.

• Option A: born is the past participle of the verb “to be.” It is used to form the perfect tenses, such as the present perfect and the past perfect. In this case, the perfect tenses are not appropriate because the sentence is about a single event that happened in the past.
• Option B: has born is the present perfect tense of the verb “to be.” It is used to talk about something that has happened or been true up to the present moment. In this case, the present perfect tense is not appropriate because the sentence is about something that happened in the past.
• Option C: are born is the plural form of the present tense of the verb “to be.” It is used to talk about two or more people or things that exist or happen at the same time. In this case, the plural form is not appropriate because the sentence is about a single person.

Therefore, the correct answer is: was born.