The primary force that generates ocean tides on Earth is the gravitational pull of the Moon and, to a lesser extent, the Sun. Therefore, the correct answer is:
alignment of the Earth with the Moon and Sun
The gravitational interactions between these celestial bodies cause the water in the oceans to bulge, creating high and low tides as the Earth rotates. While other factors like winds, ocean currents, the Earth's rotation, and the Coriolis effect also influence ocean behavior, they do not directly create the tides in the way that the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun does.