Choose the correct verb form to fill in the blank:
Dadaji is eighty-five, but he still ______ the name of every boat that left our harbour in the 1970s.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → remembers
Simple present of “remember”:
- Verbs of the mind, like know, believe and “remember”, show a state, not an action going on, so they do not take -ing.
- Dadaji has this memory now, so the simple present is used.
- Clue word: “still”.
- Complete sentence: Dadaji is eighty-five, but he still remembers the name of every boat that left our harbour in the 1970s.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: is remembering — Incorrect.
- “Is remembering” is the present continuous: is + V-ing.
- A verb of the mind like “remember” does not take -ing.
- Example: Dadaji is mending a fishing net on the porch.
Option 2: was remembering — Incorrect.
- “Was remembering” is the past continuous: was + V-ing.
- A verb of the mind like “remember” does not take -ing.
- Example: The boats were coming back when the wind rose.
Option 3: has been remembering — Incorrect.
- “Has been remembering” is the present perfect continuous: has been + V-ing.
- This verb of the mind does not take -ing.
- Example: He has been painting the old boat since morning.