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Question

Difficulty: EasyShifts in Construction

Read the passage below. To maintain a consistent present-tense construction throughout the passage, fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb 'make'.

Answer:When amateur astronomers scan the night sky through a telescope, they look for familiar constellations and planets. If they see a shooting star, they often 【make】 a wish before it disappears from sight.

Answer

make
The correct answer is 'make' because the passage begins in the present tense with the verbs 'scan', 'look', and 'see'. To maintain a consistent present-tense construction and avoid an unnecessary shift in construction, the verb in the blank must also be in the present tense ('make') to agree with the plural subject 'they'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the tense of the verbs established in the surrounding context of the passage.
The verbs 'scan', 'look', 'see', and 'disappears' are all in the present tense.
Establishing the timeframe of the passage is necessary to maintain construction consistency.
2
Determine the subject of the clause containing the blank to ensure proper subject-verb agreement.
The subject is the plural pronoun 'they'.
The verb must agree with both the plural subject and the established present tense.
3
Select the correct form of the verb 'make' that satisfies both present tense and plural agreement.
The base form 'make' is present tense and plural, which fits the construction.
Forms like 'made' or 'will make' introduce unnecessary shifts in tense.

Key Concept

Maintaining consistent verb tense within a passage to avoid illogical shifts in construction.
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Topics

Shifts in Construction

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