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Question

Difficulty: MediumVerb Tense, Aspect, and Mood

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

Answer:In 1953, geologist Marie Tharp completed a detailed map of the Atlantic Ocean floor, which revealed the existence of a continuous mid-ocean rift valley. Before Tharp 【presented】 her findings, most scientists had believed that the ocean floor was a flat, featureless expanse.

Answer

presented
The simple past tense 'presented' correctly indicates a completed past action that serves as the temporal anchor for the past perfect verb 'had believed' in the dependent clause.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the temporal sequence established in the passage.
The passage discusses historical events in the past: Marie Tharp's mapping work in 1953 and the scientific beliefs that existed prior to her work.
Understanding the timeline of events helps determine the correct verb tense and aspect.
2
Determine the relationship between the two clauses in the second sentence.
The main clause uses the past perfect verb 'had believed' to describe a state of belief that existed prior to another past event. The event that marked the end of this belief (Marie Tharp presenting her findings) must be in the simple past tense.
The past perfect ('had believed') is used to describe an action completed before another action in the past, which must be in the simple past ('presented').

Key Concept

Verb Tense and Aspect Relationship (Simple Past vs. Past Perfect)
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Topics

Verb Tense, Aspect, and Mood

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