Help completing a word in a sentence
American rapid-prototyping experts believe it is only a matter of time before such machines (A/B/C) common and nurses will be using them as broutinely as they currently use x-rays. Moreover, in a few years these ingenious machines will be able to produce replacement body parts such as teeth, bones and even entire organs.
a become - b have become - c would become
Why is the answer A rather than B?
The missing word is according to the time it is Present perfect simple.
Please if anyone knows why it is, and can bring tips that I will know the next few times will appreciate very much, thank you
Search from various English teachers...
Answers · 2
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My first instinct is "become" but, when I think about it, "have become" and "will have become" could also work too, though with a slightly different meaning.
a) Become.
It's not common now, but it will become common in the future.
The expression "it's only a matter of time" is referring to a "present to future" situation even though the tense is present. Conjunctions like before/after/until/if come with the present tense in complex sentences referring to the "present to future". e.g. Before you leave work, you will need to finish the report.
b) Have become / will have become
It is already becoming common. If we imagine a future time and look back, by that time they "(will) have become" common.
0
Hi! We use present perfect when we talk about an action that has already started in the past. In this case, we're predicting the future, probably a near and inevitable one as it is said that "it is only a matter of time". In this case it is correct to use present simple.
Does that make sense?
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