Question

Difficulty: MediumVerb Tense, Aspect, and Mood

Complete the passage with the form of the verb 'build' that correctly completes the sentence to conform to the conventions of Standard English. Which form of the verb 'build' correctly completes the sentence?

Answer:Although archaeologist Anne Stine Ingstad and her husband Helge discovered the remains of L'Anse aux Meadows in 1960, Norse seafarers had arrived there centuries earlier. By the time this remote settlement was abandoned in the eleventh century, its occupants 【had built】 several sod buildings, establishing a temporary foothold in North America long before Christopher Columbus set sail.

Answer

had built
The correct answer is 'had built'. The phrase 'By the time' indicates that the action in the main clause (the construction of the sod buildings) was completed before another past event (the abandonment of the settlement in the eleventh century). When ordering two past events, the earlier completed event must be expressed in the past perfect tense, which consists of the auxiliary verb 'had' and the past participle of the verb ('built').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the temporal markers and verbs in the passage to establish the timeline of events.
The narrative is set in the past, establishing the discovery of the site in 1960 ('discovered') and the abandonment of the settlement in the eleventh century ('was abandoned').
Determining the relative order of past events is essential for choosing the correct verb tense and aspect.
2
Identify the relationship between the action in the blank and the other past events in the sentence.
The phrase 'By the time this remote settlement was abandoned' indicates that the action of constructing the buildings was completed before the abandonment occurred.
An action that is completed prior to a specific point or action in the past requires the past perfect tense.
3
Formulate the correct past perfect form of the verb 'build'.
The past perfect tense is constructed using the auxiliary verb 'had' and the past participle of the main verb, resulting in 'had built'.
This form correctly conveys the completed sequence of events.

Key Concept

Verb Tense, Aspect, and Mood
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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