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Difficulty: MediumShifts in Construction

In the early days of aviation, pilots relied heavily on visual landmarks and basic compasses to navigate. Because they lacked modern radar systems, these early aviators regularly scanned the horizon, watched for changes in the weather, and they are adjusting their flight paths accordingly. These careful observations were critical to ensuring a safe arrival at their destinations.

Which choice best maintains a consistent grammatical construction in the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. adjustedAnswer
  3. C
    will adjust
  4. D
    by adjusting

Answer

adjusted
The correct answer maintains parallel structure by using the simple past-tense verb 'adjusted' to match the other past-tense verbs in the series, 'scanned' and 'watched.'

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the structure of the sentence containing the underlined portion.
The sentence lists a series of three actions performed by the subject: scanning the horizon, watching for changes in the weather, and the underlined action.
Identifying the list structure helps determine if there is a parallel list requiring consistent construction.
2
Identify the grammatical form of the first two items in the series.
The verbs 'scanned' and 'watched' are both simple past-tense verbs.
All items in a coordinating list must share the same grammatical form to maintain parallel structure.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that matches this simple past-tense verb form.
The option 'adjusted' is a simple past-tense verb, which fits the pattern 'scanned... watched... and adjusted.'
Selecting a simple past-tense verb completes the series with grammatical consistency and avoids any shift in construction.

Key Concept

Parallel Structure and Verb Tense Consistency in Lists
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Topics

Shifts in Construction

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