Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option:
Please do not call Ira to the phone; at the moment she ______ her Sanskrit shlokas to Dadi in the prayer room.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → is reciting
Present continuous tense:
- Its form is am / is / are + V-ing.
- It shows an action going on at this moment.
- Clue word: “at the moment”.
- Ira cannot come to the phone because the reciting is still in progress.
- Complete sentence: Please do not call Ira to the phone; at the moment she is reciting her Sanskrit shlokas to Dadi in the prayer room.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: recites — Incorrect.
- “Recites” is the simple present.
- It shows a habit or a fixed fact, not an action going on at this moment.
- Example: My brother recites a poem at every school assembly.
Option 3: has been reciting — Incorrect.
- “Has been reciting” is the present perfect continuous: has / have been + V-ing.
- It tells how long an action has gone on up to now.
- It does not go with “at the moment”, which points to this very moment.
- Example: Tara has been practising the song for an hour.
Option 4: has recited — Incorrect.
- “Has recited” is the present perfect: has / have + past participle (V3).
- It shows an action that is already over, but here the reciting is still going on.
- Example: Meena has finished her homework.