Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option:
My cousins from Lucknow ______ us this Sunday; Amma fixed the plan with them on the phone last night.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → are visiting
Present continuous for a fixed plan:
- Its form is am / is / are + V-ing.
- Besides an action going on now, it shows a plan for the near future that has already been fixed.
- The plan was fixed on the phone, and “this Sunday” is still to come.
- Clue word: “this Sunday” with “fixed the plan”.
- Complete sentence: My cousins from Lucknow are visiting us this Sunday; Amma fixed the plan with them on the phone last night.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: visit — Incorrect.
- “Visit” is the simple present.
- It is used for the future only with fixed timetables, such as trains and exams, not for plans between people.
- Example: The Shatabdi leaves at 6:15 tomorrow morning.
Option 3: visited — Incorrect.
- “Visited” is the simple past.
- It shows a finished action, but “this Sunday” here is still to come.
- Example: My cousins visited us last Diwali.
Option 4: have visited — Incorrect.
- “Have visited” is the present perfect.
- It links a past action to now and cannot go with a future time.
- Example: We have visited the Bara Imambara twice.