Choose the correct form of tense for the given sentence: He ______ very little…

Correct answer: "always speaks" — simple present (habitual action).

Explanation:

• The sentence describes a general habit or regular behaviour: he habitually speaks very little when strangers are present. The simple present is used for such habitual actions.

• The adverb "always" emphasizes the habitual nature; with a third-person subject (he) the verb takes the -s ending: "he speaks."

Why the other choices are incorrect:

• "had always spoken" — past perfect. This form refers to an action completed before another past event, so it does not fit a present habitual context.

• "was always speaking" — past continuous. This indicates an ongoing or repeated action in the past, not a present habitual tendency.

• "is always speaking" — present continuous. While present continuous with "always" can show repeated annoyance or frequent action now, it would imply constant talking (contradicting "very little") and is less appropriate for describing a general habitual characteristic.

Example sentence: "He always speaks very little when there are strangers present."