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Difficulty: MediumVerb Tense and Consistency

The following passage describes the history of printing in Europe. Read the passage and consider the historical context. Which form of the verb 'take' correctly completes the sentence to maintain consistent verb tense throughout the passage?

Answer:In the mid-fifteenth century, Johannes Gutenberg introduced movable type printing to Europe, a technology that rapidly transformed the continent's intellectual landscape. Before this innovation, scribes painstakingly copied manuscripts by hand, a process that 【took】 months or even years for a single book.

Answer

took (or had taken)
The verbs throughout the passage, such as 'introduced', 'transformed', and 'copied', are in the past tense because they describe completed historical actions. Therefore, the verb completing the sentence must also be in the past tense ('took' or 'had taken') to maintain grammatical consistency.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the established tense of the passage by identifying surrounding verbs.
The verbs 'introduced', 'transformed', and 'copied' are all in the past tense, establishing a past-tense narrative context.
Maintaining verb tense consistency is necessary to ensure the passage's timeline remains clear and logical.
2
Determine the appropriate tense for the verb 'take' to complete the description of the historical scribal process.
The simple past tense 'took' (or past perfect 'had taken') keeps the verb consistent with the other past-tense actions described in the passage.
Using a present-tense form like 'takes' or a future-tense form like 'will take' would create an illogical shift in tense.

Key Concept

Verb Tense and Consistency
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Topics

Verb Tense and Consistency

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