Question

Choose the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.

The United Nations is drawing up an economic plan aimed at ______ East Timor with a stronger economy based on coffee.

• A. provide
• B. provides
• C. to provide
• D. providing

Answer 1

The correct option is D providing

Gerunds are words that are formed with verbs but act as nouns. Gerunds also at times are seen to end in 'ing'. In this particular sentence, the word should act as a noun thus becoming the subject of the sentence and as a verb by taking up the object. This means that in the blank, we would need a gerund.

Option B: Playing is a gerund as it behaves as a noun as well as a verb in the sentence

Provide and provides are in the present tense.

Option D is correct