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Difficulty: MediumVerb Tense and Consistency

During a 2018 research expedition off the coast of Monterey Bay, oceanographers monitored the glowing patterns of bioluminescent dinoflagellates. Whenever the research vessel disturbed the water surface, thousands of microscopic organisms emitted brilliant blue flashes. This sudden light reaction discourages potential predators and allowed the science team to track surface current dynamics in real time.

Which choice best maintains consistent verb tense in the passage?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. discouragedAnswer
  3. C
    will discourage
  4. D
    have discouraged

Answer

The correct option is 'discouraged'.
The past-tense verb 'discouraged' maintains consistent tense throughout the paragraph, aligning with the historical context of the 2018 expedition established by 'monitored', 'disturbed', 'emitted', and 'allowed'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the timeframe and governing tense of the paragraph.
The narrative describes a specific past event ('2018 research expedition') using past-tense verbs ('monitored', 'disturbed', 'emitted', 'allowed').
Verb tenses within a narrative paragraph must remain consistent unless there is a clear chronological shift.
2
Analyze the underlined verb for tense consistency.
The underlined word 'discourages' is in the present tense, creating an abrupt and unnecessary shift from the past tense frame.
The action of discouraging predators occurred simultaneously with emitting flashes and allowing tracking during the 2018 expedition.
3
Select the option that provides the simple past tense form.
'discouraged' seamlessly aligns with 'emitted' and 'allowed'.
Using simple past tense maintains grammatical parallelism and temporal consistency across the sentence.

Key Concept

Verb Tense Consistency
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Topics

Verb Tense and Consistency

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