During the nineteenth century, steam engines powered massive factories and {{blank_1}} the transportation of goods across the country. Which form of the verb 'revolutionize' should be written in the blank to maintain a consistent verb tense?
Answer:During the nineteenth century, steam engines powered massive factories and 【revolutionized】 the transportation of goods across the country.
Answer
revolutionized
The sentence describes historical events that occurred during the nineteenth century. The first verb in the compound predicate, 'powered', is in the simple past tense. To avoid an unnecessary shift in construction, the second verb linked by 'and' must also be in the simple past tense. Therefore, the past tense form 'revolutionized' is correct.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Verb Tense Consistency