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This multiple choice exercise corresponds to the N5 level of the JLPT.

I am required to pick the right answer to fill the blank within brackets:

> おとうとはきょねんからアメリカへ行っています。日本に(____)

The right answer is いません, but I don't understand why 来ていません can not be used
instead of いません.
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2023-08-28T11:08:06.373
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question
grammar jlpt
Why isn't 来ていません a valid choice instead of いません in the following exercise?
Does this exercise come with a previous sentence? Both sentences actually make
sense if interpreted in isolation:

  1. おとうとはきょねんからアメリカへ行っています。日本にいません。  
My brother has been in the U.S. since last year. (Therefore) he is not in
Japan (now).

  2. おとうとはきょねんからアメリカへ行っています。日本に来ていません。  
My brother has been in the U.S. since last year. (Therefore) he has never
visited Japan (this year / recently).

Sentence 1 is a response to "Is your brother in Japan now?" or "Let me see
your brother tomorrow", whereas Sentence 2 is a response to "Your brother has
visited Japan this year, hasn't he?".

Even if there is no previous context, I would pick Sentence 1 simply because
it seems more common, but Sentence 2 (来ていません) is not a wrong choice when the
places the brother visited this year are important.
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2023-01-02T16:55:50.843
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answer