Question

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option.
A: Are Peter and Mary still sitting in the office?
B: No, ________________.

• A. they don't sit
• B. they standing
• C. there aren't
• D. they aren't

Answer 1

The correct option is D they aren't

Statement 'A' asks about the current action of Mary and Peter. Thus, the answer must contain a pronoun that refers to them both. Further, the pronoun must be followed by a verb that justifies current action for multiple subjects.

Option A is incorrect. 'They' can be used to refer to Mary and Peter but, 'don't sit' does not justify an ongoing or current action. It simply states something rather than answering the question asked by 'A'.

Option B is incorrect. 'They' can be used to refer to Mary and Peter and the verb indicates current action. However, the phrase is grammatically incorrect as the verb 'standing' must be supported by an auxiliary verb.

Option C is incorrect. 'There' is cannot be used to refer to Mary and Peter. It is not a pronoun and is generally used to refer to a place and not people.

Option D is correct. 'They' can be used to refer to Mary and Peter. In addition, 'aren't' justifies an ongoing action for multiple subjects. Thus, option D meets the required conditions.