Fill the correct present perfect or simple past form of the verb from the options given below:
It's already 10 o'clock and I ________ the newspaper this morning.
Fill the correct present perfect or simple past form of the verb from the options given below:
It's already 10 o'clock and I ________ the newspaper this morning.
The correct option is B Have not read
The given sentence speaks about an action that is in the past, and how that has not been completed until the recent past. So 'have not read' is the apt answer because it is an example of present perfect tense which denotes an action that started in the past and completed in the recent past. Hence option B is correct. On the other hand, simple past tense is used to denote an action that occurred in the distant past. Thus option A is incorrect. Whereas, ‘had not read’ is an example of past perfect tense. It is used to refer to an action that happens at some point in the past, before another action occurred, in the past. The given sentence speaks about only one action, and not two actions; therefore past perfect tense cannot be used. Hence option D is incorrect. Similarly, ‘have not been reading’ cannot be used in the sentence because it is an example of present perfect continuous tense. Present perfect continuous tense is used while speaking about actions that started in the past and are ongoing, i.e. unfinished in the present. The act of reading has not even started in the past; hence present continuous tense cannot be used, so option C is incorrect.
The given sentence speaks about an action that is in the past, and how that has not been completed until the recent past. So 'have not read' is the apt answer because it is an example of present perfect tense which denotes an action that started in the past and completed in the recent past. Hence option B is correct. On the other hand, simple past tense is used to denote an action that occurred in the distant past. Thus option A is incorrect. Whereas, ‘had not read’ is an example of past perfect tense. It is used to refer to an action that happens at some point in the past, before another action occurred, in the past. The given sentence speaks about only one action, and not two actions; therefore past perfect tense cannot be used. Hence option D is incorrect. Similarly, ‘have not been reading’ cannot be used in the sentence because it is an example of present perfect continuous tense. Present perfect continuous tense is used while speaking about actions that started in the past and are ongoing, i.e. unfinished in the present. The act of reading has not even started in the past; hence present continuous tense cannot be used, so option C is incorrect.
