Fill the correct present perfect or simple past form of the verb from the options given below:
The lazy servant ______ very little work.
'Has done' is the present perfect form of 'do'. It is used to denote an action that was completed at some point in the past, especially something that was completed in the recent past. 'Has done' is the apt answer because it explains how much work the servant has done during a period in the recent past, i.e. just before the statement was made by the speaker. Hence option C is correct. On the other hand, 'done' which is in simple past tense form is used to denote an action that occurred in the distant past. Whereas, ‘do’ would be an example of simple present tense, which is used to talk about general statements or actions that are true at all times. Options A and B are incorrect because the sentence is not about an action that occurred in the distant past or about a general truth. 'Had done’ is an example of past perfect tense. It is used to refer to something that happened at some point in the past, before another action occurred, in the past. In other words, it is used when there are two actions happening one after the other. The sentence speaks about only one action that was completed in the recent past; therefore past perfect tense cannot be used. Hence option D is incorrect.