Question

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option:
Bill________ his girlfriend now. That’s the third time he ______ her this evening.
A. phones/phones
B. has phoned/phones
C. is phoning/has phoned
D. will phone/has phoned
E. is phoning/had phoned

Answer 1

Hint: Tenses denote the time an action takes place. Tenses can be divided into three parts. Since the first sentence(principal clause) is the present tense, the subordinate clause( second sentence) should be in the present tense.

Complete step by step answer:
Tenses denote the time an action takes place. Tenses can be divided into three parts 1) Present tense 2) Past tense and the 3) Future tense. Each of these can further be divided into 4 subparts 1) Simple 2) Continuous 3) Perfect 4) Perfect Continuous.
In order to determine the correct option we first need to understand the sequence of the tenses. It is important to determine the occurrence of each action relative to each other.
To answer this question there are some grammar rules that we need to know. A past tense in the principal clause is always followed by a past tense in the subordinate clause. If the tense used with the principal clause is in the present or future tense, the tense of the subordinate clause can be in any tense based on what needs to be conveyed.
The first sentence is in the present tense and the word now has been used.
Option A) phones/phones
This option is incorrect because the first sentence tells that the action is still going on so PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE will come in the first sentence. Phone is in the simple present tense. The second sentence denotes an action that has happened more than once before now so PRESENT PERFECT TENSE will come in this blank.
Option B) has phoned/phones
This option is incorrect because has phoned is the PRESENT PERFECT TENSE and in the second option phones is in the SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE.
Option C) is phoning/has phoned
This option is correct because is phoning is the present continuous tense which tells that the action is still going on and in the second sentence has phoned is in the present perfect tense which denotes an action that has happened more than once before now.
The complete sentence is Bill is phoning his girlfriend now. That’s the third time he has phoned her this evening.
Option D) will phone/has phoned
This option is incorrect because will phone is in the future tense and in the first sentence the present continuous tense should come.
Option E) is phoning/had phoned
This sentence is incorrect as in the second sentence present tense will come and had phoned is in the past tense.

Thus, Option C is correct.

Note:
Rules of Tenses help one understand how to correctly use the different tenses in a sentence. Past tense in the principal clause is always followed by a past tense in the subordinate clause. . If the tense used with the principal clause is in the present or future tense, the tense of the subordinate clause can be in any tense based on what needs to be conveyed.