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Question

Difficulty: MediumParallel Structure

Which word completes the passage so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

Answer:In their recent excavation of a medieval settlement, a team of Swedish archaeologists discovered a remarkably well-preserved wooden ship. To accurately estimate the age of the wooden artifact, the research team planned to conduct radiocarbon dating on the organic fibers, analyze the tree ring patterns of the timber, and 【consult】 the historical records of local maritime trade from that era.

Answer

A base verb (such as 'consult' or 'examine') that is parallel to the other base verbs in the series, 'conduct' and 'analyze'.
To maintain parallel structure in the list of actions introduced by 'planned to' (conduct..., analyze..., and [blank]), the blank must contain a base verb (such as 'consult' or 'examine'). This matches the base verb forms of the preceding coordinates 'conduct' and 'analyze'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the list of coordinate elements in the sentence.
The sentence lists three actions that the research team planned to perform: (1) 'conduct radiocarbon dating...', (2) 'analyze the tree ring patterns...', and (3) '{{blank_1}} the historical records...'.
Recognizing the structure of the list is essential to verifying grammatical consistency.
2
Analyze the grammatical form of the completed items in the list.
The first two items in the list begin with the base verbs 'conduct' and 'analyze', following the initial helper verb phrase 'planned to'.
The grammatical form of the initial items dictates the form required for the final item.
3
Determine the grammatical form required for the blank to maintain parallel structure.
The blank must be completed with a base verb (e.g., 'consult') to remain parallel with 'conduct' and 'analyze'. Present participles or verbs preceded by 'to' would disrupt this parallel structure.
Standard English conventions require all coordinate elements in a series to share the same grammatical form.

Key Concept

Parallel structure in a list of verbs requires all verbs to share the same grammatical form. When a helper verb like 'to' precedes the first item and is not repeated, the subsequent items must be base verbs.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Parallel Structure

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