Choose the correct form of tense for the given sentence: Man ______ how to…

2024

Choose the correct form of tense for the given sentence:

Man ______ how to reach the most distant planets.

  1. A.

    hasn't knew

  2. B.

    do not know

  3. C.

    didn't knew

  4. D.

    does not know

Attempted by 96 students.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D

Correct answer: does not know

Explanation:

The sentence states a general present fact. For general truths we use the simple present. The subject 'Man' is third-person singular, so the correct structure is 'does' + base verb 'know' → 'does not know'.

  • Why 'hasn't knew' is wrong: 'has' requires the past participle 'known', so the grammatically correct present-perfect form would be 'hasn't known', not 'hasn't knew'. Also, present perfect is not the best choice for a general present fact.

  • Why 'do not know' is wrong: 'do' does not agree with a singular third-person subject. Use 'does not know' or the contraction 'doesn't know'.

  • Why 'didn't knew' is wrong: after the auxiliary 'did' the main verb must be in base form ('didn't know'). Also, past simple would change the meaning to the past, whereas the sentence expresses a present general truth.

Final sentence: Man does not know how to reach the most distant planets.

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