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Difficulty: MediumShifts in Construction

Working in a high-temperature studio, the glassblower gathered a molten glob of glass on the end of a steel blowpipe. He continuously rolled the pipe to maintain a spherical shape, and then he blows gently into the tube to expand the glass bubble.

Which choice best corrects the underlined portion to ensure the sentence maintains a consistent verb tense?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. blewAnswer
  3. C
    has blown
  4. D
    will blow

Answer

blew
The correct choice is the past-tense verb 'blew' because it aligns with the other simple past-tense verbs in the passage ('gathered' and 'rolled'), ensuring grammatical consistency throughout the description of the glassblowing process.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the surrounding verbs in the passage to establish the narrative tense.
The verbs 'gathered' and 'rolled' are in the simple past tense, showing that the story describes past events.
Establishing the baseline tense is necessary to check for any shifts in construction.
2
Evaluate the underlined verb 'blows' for tense consistency.
The verb 'blows' is in the present tense, which creates an abrupt, illogical shift from the past-tense context.
Identifying the error ensures we look for an option that corrects the shift.
3
Select the verb form that matches the simple past tense of the other verbs in the sequence.
The simple past tense verb 'blew' maintains consistent construction.
Using the same tense preserves the chronological flow and grammatical consistency of the narrative.

Key Concept

Verb Tense Consistency
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Topics

Shifts in Construction

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