Read the passage about Filippo Brunelleschi's engineering feats in Renaissance Florence. To maintain a logical and consistent sequence of verb tenses throughout the passage, what form of the verb 'revolutionize' must fill the blank?
Answer:In the early fifteenth century, the city of Florence sought to complete its grand cathedral, yet the massive opening in the roof remained exposed to the elements because no builder knew how to construct a dome without wooden scaffolding. Filippo Brunelleschi, a goldsmith by trade, proposed a daring double-walled structure. Before the cathedral overseers accepted his plan, they demanded a model to prove his design's stability. By the time the dome was finally completed in 1436, Brunelleschi’s innovative herringbone brickwork 【had revolutionized】 (revolutionize) architectural engineering, proving that ancient techniques could be surpassed.
Answer
had revolutionized
The correct verb form is the past perfect 'had revolutionized'. The sentence establishes a deadline in the past with the clause 'By the time the dome was finally completed in 1436'. Because the action of changing architectural engineering occurred before this point, the past perfect tense (consisting of the auxiliary verb 'had' and the past participle 'revolutionized') is required to clarify the sequence of events.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Past Perfect Tense with Past Reference Points