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Difficulty: MediumShifts in Construction

For centuries, cartographers faced the daunting task of mapping uncharted territories using only basic tools like astrolabes and compasses. They spent months at sea, documented coastline features with painstaking precision, and would gather stories from local merchants to fill in geographic gaps. Despite these limitations, their maps remained remarkably accurate for the era.

Which of the following choices to the underlined portion is most grammatically correct and consistent with the rest of the passage?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. gatheredAnswer
  3. C
    gathering
  4. D
    will gather

Answer

gathered
The correct answer is 'gathered' because it is a simple past tense verb that matches the grammatical structure and tense of the other items in the parallel series: 'spent' and 'documented'. Maintaining this consistency prevents an unnecessary shift in construction.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the verbs that form the parallel series in the second sentence of the passage.
The series consists of the verbs 'spent', 'documented', and the underlined verb phrase.
Recognizing the parallel construction is key to identifying which form the final verb in the list must take.
2
Analyze the tense of the non-underlined verbs in the parallel series.
The verbs 'spent' and 'documented' are both in the simple past tense.
To maintain parallel structure and prevent shifts in construction, the final verb in the list must match the simple past tense of the preceding verbs.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that matches the simple past tense without adding unnecessary words.
The choice 'gathered' is in the simple past tense and matches the established structure.
This maintains consistency in construction and tense throughout the sentence.

Key Concept

Parallel Structure and Consistency in Verb Tense
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Topics

Shifts in Construction

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