is the first time I ___ Mark cooking dinner by himself.a) sawb) have seenc) am seeingd) had seen

To determine the correct answer for the sentence "is the first time I ___ Mark cooking dinner by himself," we need to understand the context of the sentence and the tense being used.

1. Understanding the Context: The phrase "is the first time" indicates that we are discussing a current situation or occurrence. Therefore, the verb that follows should reflect something happening now or a completed action that has relevance to the present.

2. Analyzing the Options:

   • a) saw: This is the simple past tense, which does not fit because it indicates a completed action without present relevance.
   • b) have seen: This is the present perfect tense, which indicates that at some point up to now, the action has occurred. It fits well in the context.
   • c) am seeing: This suggests a current action happening at the moment, which doesn't fit the context as we are discussing a first-time occurrence rather than an ongoing action.
   • d) had seen: This is the past perfect tense indicating an action that was completed before another past action, which is irrelevant here.

3. Choosing the Best Option: Based on the above analysis, the best choice is b) have seen, as it accurately conveys the completed experience linked to the present moment.

Final Answer

The correct answer is b) have seen.