Question

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word:
We don't like him because he always ________ lies.
a) Tell
b) Was telling
c) Tells
d) Are telling
e) Has told

Answer 1

Hint: In this question we have to identify the option which is consistent with the tense already used. Since tenses are consistent in a given sentence, we can understand which tense is to be used by seeing which tense has already been used. On reading the given part of the sentence, we can understand that the author is talking about not liking someone in the present. So we can understand that the sentence is given in the present tense. This is implied from the given words: don't like him and lies.

Complete answer:
The correct answer is option c because the word tells is simple present tense and when used in the sentence, the sentence reads as follows: We don't like him because he always tells lies. This sentence makes perfect sense and is grammatically correct as well and therefore option c is the correct answer.
Option a is wrong because even though tell is in the present tense. We have to use the word tells because the person we are talking about is in the singular form. Tell is used when the people talked about are more than one in number, for example, They tell lies. In the given example we can understand from the word they that there are more than one person being referred to and that's why we have to use the word tell and not tells. Since in the given sentence the person referred to is he, we have to use the word tells.
Option b is wrong because the word he is in the singular form and option d is are telling. Usage of the word means that the person referred to is more than one which is wrong.
The option is wrong because it is in the past tense. Told is the past tense of tell.

Note:
Always note how many people are being talked about. If it is one, then we are going to use the plural form of the verb and if it is more than one, then we are going to use the singular form of the verb.