Select the correct tense form :
The car (belong) to my mother. She (use) it today to take Tom to the dentist.

Question

Select the correct tense form : 
The car (belong) to my mother. She (use) it today to take Tom to the dentist.

Accepted Answer

Option 4, "belongs, is using," is the correct tense form because it accurately reflects the present state of ownership and the ongoing action.

*   **"belongs"**: The verb "belong" describes a state of ownership. Since the car currently belongs to the mother, the present simple tense "belongs" is appropriate. It indicates a general truth or a fact that is currently valid.

*   **"is using"**: The verb "use" describes an action that is happening now, specifically today. The present continuous tense "is using" is used to describe an action that is in progress at or around the time of speaking. The sentence indicates that the mother is currently using the car to take Tom to the dentist.

Now, let's examine why the other options are incorrect:

*   **Option 1: belonged, is using**: "belonged" is the past tense of "belong." While the car *may* have belonged to the mother in the past, the sentence implies it still does. Using "belonged" suggests the ownership is no longer current. "is using" is correct for the second part of the sentence, but the first part is incorrect.

*   **Option 2: belonged, using**: "belonged" is incorrect for the same reason as in Option 1. "using" is also incorrect because it lacks the auxiliary verb "is," making it grammatically incomplete in this context. It doesn't clearly indicate the ongoing nature of the action.

*   **Option 3: belong, used**: "belong" is the base form of the verb, which would only be correct if the subject were plural (e.g., "The cars belong to my mother"). Since the subject is "The car" (singular), "belongs" is required. "used" is the past tense of "use." While the mother may have used the car in the past, the sentence indicates she is using it *today*, making the present continuous tense "is using" more appropriate. "used" would imply a past, completed action, not the current action of taking Tom to the dentist.

Therefore, Option 4, "belongs, is using," is the only option that correctly uses the present simple tense to describe the current ownership of the car and the present continuous tense to describe the ongoing action of using the car.