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Difficulty: EasyParallel Structure

The Venus flytrap (*Dionaea muscipula*) is a carnivorous plant native to subtropical wetlands. To capture prey, the plant relies on specialized leaves that trigger when hairs are touched, snap shut in a fraction of a second, and ______ the trapped insect over several days. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

  1. A
    to digest
  2. B
    digesting
  3. digestAnswer
  4. D
    will digest

Answer

digest
The sentence contains a series of three actions performed by the leaves: 'trigger', 'snap', and the verb in the blank. Because 'trigger' and 'snap' are present-tense plural verbs, the final verb in the list must also be a present-tense plural verb. The option 'digest' is a present-tense plural verb, which successfully maintains parallel structure.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the list of actions performed by the specialized leaves in the sentence.
The sentence lists three actions: 'trigger', 'snap', and the blank.
Understanding the elements of a list allows us to identify the pattern required for parallel structure.
2
Analyze the grammatical form of the existing items in the list.
'trigger' and 'snap' are present-tense plural verbs that agree with the plural subject 'leaves'.
Parallel structure requires all items in a series to share the same grammatical form.
3
Select the option that matches this grammatical form.
'digest' is the present-tense plural verb form.
Selecting the present-tense plural verb maintains grammatical consistency across all three items in the list.

Key Concept

Parallel Structure
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Parallel Structure

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