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Difficulty: MediumVerb Tense, Aspect, and Mood

In 1964, radio astronomers Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson ______ a persistent background noise in their horn antenna that they could not eliminate. Although they initially attributed the static to nesting pigeons, subsequent measurements by a Princeton research group confirmed that the signal was actually the ancient thermal radiation left over from the early universe.

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

  1. A
    detect
  2. B
    have detected
  3. detectedAnswer
  4. D
    are detecting

Answer

detected
The correct option is the simple past tense verb 'detected.' The passage describes events that took place in a specific past year (1964), and the surrounding verbs ('could not,' 'attributed,' 'confirmed,' and 'was') are all in the simple past tense. Therefore, the simple past tense is required to maintain verb tense consistency.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the temporal markers and surrounding verbs in the passage to establish the correct time frame.
The phrase 'In 1964' and verbs like 'could not,' 'attributed,' 'confirmed,' and 'was' indicate that the passage describes past events.
Verb tenses within a passage must remain consistent unless there is a logical reason to shift time frames.
2
Evaluate the choices to find the form of 'detect' that matches this past time frame.
The simple past tense 'detected' matches the established past context, whereas 'detect,' 'have detected,' and 'are detecting' introduce inappropriate present-tense elements.
Using the simple past tense maintains grammatical consistency and correctly positions the action in the specified year (1964).

Key Concept

Verb Tense Consistency
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Verb Tense, Aspect, and Mood

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