Question

Complete the sentence using the appropriate option:

I don't want to go without you. I _______ (wait) until you _______ (be) ready.

• A. will wait... will be
  
• B. will wait... have been
  
• C. will wait...are
  
• D. have waited... have been
  

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

will wait...are

The first statement 'don't want to go' expresses a wish for something that has not happened yet. Hence the next statement will express the future tense.

Option C: 'Will wait... are' explains an action 'to wait' till the time ('until') the listener 'you' is ready.

The verb forms are relevant to the given sentence: 'I' will wait till the time 'you' are ready.

'Will wait' and 'are' are both in simple future tense. Sometimes, we use the simple present verb (like 'are') to refer to a future action. In these cases, we see the words 'when, until, after, etc' before the simple present verbs.

Here too we see 'until' before the verb 'are'.

Hence option C is correct.

Option A: 'Will wait... will be' is not the correct option. 'Will be' does not agree with the word 'until'. 'Until' is often seen before simple present verbs that refer to future events, whereas 'will be' is in simple future tense. The meaning differs between both tenses.

Option B: 'Will wait... have been' is also not the correct option. 'Have been' is in present perfect tense. It expresses an action that has just completed. But the word 'until' expresses an action that is yet to happen.

Option D: 'Have waited... have been' express the present perfect tense, whereas the sentence expresses the future tense.

Hence option D is incorrect.