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Difficulty: EasyVerb Tense, Aspect, and Mood

In 1610, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei pointed his newly improved telescope at the night sky and ______ four of the largest moons orbiting Jupiter. Today, these moons—Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto—are known as the Galilean satellites. This historic observation provided critical evidence that supported the Copernican theory that Earth is not the center of the universe.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

  1. discoveredAnswer
  2. B
    discovers
  3. C
    will discover
  4. D
    is discovering

Answer

discovered
The passage describes Galileo Galilei's observations in 1610, establishing a historical past-tense context. The sentence coordinates the blank with the past-tense verb 'pointed' ('pointed... and [blank]'). Therefore, the simple past tense verb 'discovered' is required to maintain consistency with the rest of the narrative.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the time period and context of the sentence.
The text describes an event that took place in 1610, establishing a historical, past-tense context.
Determining the correct timeframe of the passage guides the choice of verb tense.
2
Examine neighboring verbs in the sentence structure.
The target verb is linked by 'and' to the past-tense verb 'pointed' ('pointed... and [blank]').
Verbs sharing the same subject and describing consecutive actions in a past event should maintain consistent tense.
3
Select the option that matches the simple past tense.
'discovered' is in the simple past tense, matching 'pointed' and 'provided'.
Using the simple past tense ensures grammatical consistency and logical flow.

Key Concept

Verb Tense, Aspect, and Mood
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Topics

Verb Tense, Aspect, and Mood

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