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Difficulty: MediumVerb Tense, Aspect, and Mood

Before astronaut Mae Jemison boarded the Space Shuttle *Endeavour* in 1992 to become the first African American woman in space, she ______ as a general practitioner and Area Peace Corps medical officer in West Africa. These early experiences in international medicine, which required deep resourcefulness under challenging conditions, ultimately informed her subsequent research on human adaptation to spaceflight.

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

  1. A
    serves
  2. had servedAnswer
  3. C
    has served
  4. D
    is serving

Answer

had served
The past perfect verb 'had served' correctly maintains the past-tense narrative established by the verbs 'boarded,' 'required,' and 'informed.' Additionally, because the action in the blank occurred before the action of boarding the shuttle, the past perfect aspect is grammatically appropriate to signal this temporal sequence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the temporal framework of the passage by looking at neighboring verbs.
The verbs 'boarded,' 'required,' and 'informed' are all in the past tense, establishing a past-tense narrative.
Verb tenses within a passage must remain consistent unless there is a logical reason to shift timeframes.
2
Determine the chronological relationship between the verb in the blank and the other past actions.
The action in the blank (serving as a medical officer) took place before another past action (boarding the space shuttle in 1992).
The past perfect tense is appropriate for indicating an action completed prior to another past event.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the form that matches the past perfect aspect.
The verb 'had served' is in the past perfect tense.
This maintains the past-tense framework and correctly conveys the sequence of events.

Key Concept

Verb Tense Consistency and Past Perfect Aspect
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Verb Tense, Aspect, and Mood

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