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Difficulty: MediumVerb Tense and Consistency

The following passage is an excerpt from an essay about archaeological history.

In 1748, Spanish military engineer Rocque Joaquin de Alcubierre began excavations near Naples, hoping to find ancient artifacts for the King of Naples. Alcubierre's team uncovered the ruins of Pompeii, which had been buried under ash and pumice since the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. As the workers cleared away the debris, they reveal frescoed walls and preserved objects that offered a vivid glimpse into daily Roman life.

Which choice best maintains the tense and consistency of the passage?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. revealedAnswer
  3. C
    have revealed
  4. D
    will reveal

Answer

revealed
The correct option is 'revealed' because it uses the simple past tense, which aligns with the historical narrative established by the past tense verbs 'began', 'uncovered', 'cleared', and 'offered'. The sentence describes a completed past action that occurred concurrently with the workers clearing away the debris.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the temporal context of the passage by identifying the tenses of the surrounding verbs.
The verbs 'began', 'uncovered', 'cleared', and 'offered' are all in the simple past tense, establishing a consistent historical past-tense narrative.
Verb tenses in a paragraph must remain consistent unless there is a logical reason to shift timeframes.
2
Evaluate the underlined verb in relation to the clause it belongs to.
The subordinate clause 'As the workers cleared away the debris' uses the past tense 'cleared'. The main clause action ('they reveal') occurs at the same time and therefore must also be in the past tense.
Actions occurring concurrently in a historical narrative must share compatible past tenses.
3
Test the options to find the one that matches this past-tense requirement.
Changing the verb to 'revealed' matches the simple past tense of 'cleared' and 'offered'.
This maintains tense consistency throughout the passage.

Key Concept

Verb Tense and Consistency
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Verb Tense and Consistency

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