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Question

Difficulty: MediumShifts in Construction

The following passage contains an underlined portion.

Although the amateur astronomer spent hours calibrating the telescope, she still struggles to locate the faint nebula. She consulted several star charts, adjusted the focus, and finally spotted the celestial object. This experience taught her the value of patience in observational astronomy.

Which choice best replaces the underlined word to maintain a consistent verb tense throughout the passage?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. struggledAnswer
  3. C
    struggling
  4. D
    will struggle

Answer

struggled
The correct option is the past tense verb 'struggled' because it maintains a consistent verb tense with the other past tense verbs in the passage, such as 'spent,' 'consulted,' 'adjusted,' 'spotted,' and 'taught.' The passage describes a series of completed actions in the past, so the simple past tense is required to avoid an illogical shift in tense.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the verbs surrounding the underlined word in the passage to establish the narrative's timeframe.
The verbs 'spent,' 'consulted,' 'adjusted,' 'spotted,' and 'taught' are all in the simple past tense.
Establishing the primary tense of the passage is necessary to ensure consistency and avoid inappropriate shifts in construction.
2
Analyze the underlined word 'struggles' in relation to the established past tense context.
The verb 'struggles' is in the present tense, which creates an inconsistent and grammatically incorrect shift in tense.
Identifying tense mismatch helps pinpoint the error that needs correction.
3
Select the option that corrects this shift by matching the simple past tense of the other verbs.
The simple past tense verb 'struggled' resolves the shift and maintains grammatical consistency throughout the passage.
Choosing the grammatically consistent past tense verb completes the correction.

Key Concept

Avoiding Inconsistent Shifts in Verb Tense
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Topics

Shifts in Construction

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