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Difficulty: Very hardVerb Tense and Consistency

In 1948, George Orwell completed his dystopian novel *1984*, which serves as a warning against the dangers of totalitarianism. Although Orwell wrote the book while battling a severe case of tuberculosis, the narrative itself remains remarkably focused. In the novel, the protagonist, Winston Smith, secretly rebels against the oppressive Party, but he discovered that escape from the all-seeing Eye of Big Brother is ultimately impossible.

Which of the following options is the best replacement for the underlined word?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. discoversAnswer
  3. C
    had discovered
  4. D
    would discover

Answer

The present-tense verb 'discovers' is the correct choice because it maintains tense consistency within the literary present framework used to describe the plot events of the novel.
The correct option 'discovers' is in the present tense, which maintains grammatical consistency with the other verbs describing the plot of the novel ('rebels' and 'is'). In literary analysis, plot actions are conventionally written in the present tense (known as the literary present), even when the passage also mentions historical facts about the author in the past tense.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context of the sentence containing the underlined word.
The sentence describes events taking place within George Orwell's novel *1984*.
Identifying whether the sentence describes historical facts or fictional plot events determines the appropriate tense framework.
2
Identify the tense established for the plot events in the surrounding clauses.
The verbs 'rebels' and 'is' are in the present tense, establishing the literary present tense.
Plot events in literary analysis are conventionally described using the present tense.
3
Evaluate the underlined word against the established tense.
The past-tense verb 'discovered' is inconsistent with 'rebels' and 'is'.
Shifting from present to past tense without a logical transition creates a grammatical error.
4
Select the option that corrects the tense shift and maintains consistency.
The present-tense verb 'discovers' matches the literary present framework.
Using the present tense ensures grammatical consistency throughout the description of the novel's plot.

Key Concept

Literary Present Tense and Verb Tense Consistency
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Topics

Verb Tense and Consistency

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