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Question

Difficulty: MediumVerbs, Tenses, and Aspect

During the parliamentary inquiry, the committee chairman demanded that the minister of finance ______ a detailed breakdown of the emergency relief fund. Which of the following verb forms correctly completes the sentence?

  1. A
    presents
  2. presentAnswer
  3. C
    presented
  4. D
    would present

Answer

present
The correct answer uses the bare infinitive 'present' because verbs expressing commands, such as 'demanded that', govern subjunctive clauses that strictly require the uninflected base form of the verb regardless of subject or main clause tense.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the main clause verb and subordinate clause structure.
The main verb 'demanded' expresses a command/request and introduces a 'that'-clause.
Mandative verbs such as 'demand', 'insist', 'require', and 'recommend' mandate the use of the subjunctive mood in dependent clauses.
2
Select the verb form appropriate for the mandative subjunctive.
The uninflected base verb 'present' is required regardless of subject person, number, or main clause tense.
The mandative subjunctive does not take tense inflection (like 'presented') or third-person agreement markers (like 'presents').

Key Concept

Mandative Subjunctive Mood
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Topics

Verbs, Tenses, and Aspect

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