They_____ two free tickets to Canada

[嘟嘟嘟嘟]

They _____ two free tickets to Canada. Otherwise they'd never have been able to afford to go.
A. got B. have got
It is from an exercise book related to the textbook of New Concept of English.
The answer is A. Is B possibly right in the sentence? I'd like to know your opinions. Thanks.

 

[tedmc]

They _____ two free tickets to Canada. Otherwise they'd never have been able to afford to go.
A. got B. have got
It is from an exercise book related to the textbook of New Concept of English.
The answer is A. Is B possibly right in the sentence? I'd like to know your opinions. Thanks.

1. They were able to go to Canada because they got two free tickets.
2. They were able to go to Canada because they have got two free tickets.

Between the two, No.1 is obviously a better answer.

 

[Tdol]

Not for me- the sentence suggests that they have travelled to Canada, so they have used the tickets.

 

[SoothingDave]

"They got" indicates that they were given the tickets. They acquired them.

"They have got" indicates possession.

In this context, the important thing is that they were given the tickets.

 

[Tarheel]

I think most native speakers would make little distinction between the two.

 

[GoesStation]

I think most native speakers would make little distinction between the two.

I don't agree. The second sentence tells us the trip has already happened. You need the simple past "they got" to set "getting the tickets" in the past.

(For the OP: They've got is in the form of the present perfect, but it's a synonym for the present simple "they have".)

 

[嘟嘟嘟嘟]

Not for me- the sentence suggests that they have travelled to Canada, so they have used the tickets.

Do you mean B is not right by saying 'Not for me', or are you commenting on tedmc's reply?

 

[emsr2d2]

GoesStation quoted Tarheel's comment "I think most native speakers would make little distinction between the two" and then said "I don't agree". Quoting a post invariably means that the comments refer to the quote.

 

[tedmc]

The trip is over. "Have got" is in the present tense, so it doesn't match.

 

[teechar]

That really is an example of a poorly thought-out question. The context suggests that the trip is in the past (in which case only the past simple "got" works), but that is not necessarily the case. The reason is that the second sentence talks about being able to afford to go (not necessarily about actually going).
It's a bad question; forget about it.

 

[Tdol]

Do you mean B is not right by saying 'Not for me', or are you commenting on tedmc's reply?

I don't like B) as an answer because the sentence suggests they have travelled there, so A) works for me. I've got a ticket stops working when you enter Canada- you're in Canada and the ticket is void, placing it in the past tense.