Grammar & Usage (Form & Structure)

In winter, the diets of Japanese macaques, also known as snow monkeys, are influenced more by food availability than by food preference. Although the monkeys prefer to eat vegetation and land-dwelling invertebrates, those food sources may become unavailable because of extensive snow and ice cover, _______ the monkeys to hunt for marine animals in any streams that have not frozen over.

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

A) forces

B) to force

C) forcing

D) forced

A) Incorrect – "Forces" would create a run-on sentence because there is no subject-verb agreement.

B) Incorrect – "To force" is grammatically incorrect because it disrupts the sentence structure.

C) Correct – "Forcing" correctly functions as a participial phrase modifying the previous clause.

D) Incorrect – "Forced" does not fit because it creates an incomplete sentence.

Food and the sensation of taste are central to Monique Truong’s novels. In The Book of Salt, for example, the exiled character of Bình connects to his native Saigon through the food he prepares, while in Bitter in the Mouth, the character of Linda ______ a form of synesthesia whereby the words she hears evoke tastes.

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

A) experienced

B) had experienced

C) experiences

D) will be experiencing

A) Incorrect – "Experienced" is past tense, but the sentence is in the present tense.

B) Incorrect – "Had experienced" is past perfect, which is used for an event before another past event. This is unnecessary here.

C) Correct – "Experiences" is present tense, correctly maintaining parallel structure with "connects" earlier in the sentence.

D) Incorrect – "Will be experiencing" is future progressive, which does not match the present tense structure of the sentence.

In Marisol’s 1968 sculpture Mi Mama y Yo, gone are the types of pop culture references that made the Parisian-born Venezuelan American artist a star at the height of the pop art movement. In _______ place is a far more personal subject: a sculptural depiction of the artist as a young girl with her mother.

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

A) its

B) they’re

C) their

D) it’s

(A) Incorrect – "Its" is singular, but "types" is plural.

(B) Incorrect – "They’re" is a contraction for "they are," which is grammatically incorrect here.

(C) Correct – "Their" is the correct plural possessive determiner, agreeing with "types."

(D) Incorrect – "It’s" is a contraction for "it is" or "it has," which does not fit.

The ghazal, a poetic form originating in seventh‑century Arabic poetry, has an intricate structure. The twentieth‑century Kashmiri American poet Agha Shahid Ali explains that each one of a ghazal’s couplets, while adhering to the patterns of rhyme (qafia) and refrain (radif) established in the poem’s opening lines (matla), _______ thematically and logically autonomous, resulting in a poem with “a stringently formal disunity.”

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

A) is

B) were

C) have been

D) are

A) Correct – The subject "each one" is singular, requiring the singular verb "is."

B) Incorrect – "Were" is plural, which does not agree with "each one."

C) Incorrect – "Have been" is plural and past perfect, which is unnecessary here.

D) Incorrect – "Are" is plural, making it incorrect for the singular subject "each one."

Public-awareness campaigns about the need to reduce single-use plastics can be successful, says researcher Kim Borg of Monash University in Australia, when these campaigns give consumers a choice: for example, Japan achieved a 40 percent reduction in plastic-bag use after cashiers were instructed to ask customers whether _______ wanted a bag.

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

A) they

B) one

C) you

D) it

A) Correct – "Customers" is plural, so the correct pronoun is "they."

B) Incorrect – "One" is singular, which does not match "customers."

C) Incorrect – "You" would imply direct address, which is not present in the sentence.

D) Incorrect – "It" refers to a singular noun, which does not fit here.

Atoms in a synchrotron, a type of circular particle accelerator, travel faster and faster until they ______ a desired energy level, at which point they are diverted to collide with a target, smashing the atoms.

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

A) will reach

B) reach

C) had reached

D) are reaching

A) Incorrect – "Will reach" is future tense, but the sentence is in present tense.

B) Correct – "Reach" is present tense, matching "travel" earlier in the sentence.

C) Incorrect – "Had reached" is past perfect, which is incorrect since the sentence describes an ongoing process.

D) Incorrect – "Are reaching" (present progressive) does not fit the sequence of actions in the sentence.

In his 1963 exhibition Exposition of Music—Electronic Television, Korean American artist Nam June Paik showed how television images could be manipulated to express an artist’s perspective. Today, Paik _______ considered the first video artist.

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

A) will be

B) had been

C) was

D) is

A) Incorrect – "Will be" is future tense, but the sentence is in present tense.

B) Incorrect – "Had been" is past perfect, but there is no past event requiring that tense.

C) Incorrect – "Was" would indicate that Paik is no longer considered the first video artist, which is incorrect.

D) Correct – "Is" (present tense) correctly states that Paik is still recognized as the first video artist today.

Former First Lady of the United States Eleanor Roosevelt and Indian activist and educator Hansa Mehta were instrumental in drafting the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document that ______ the basic freedoms to which all people are entitled.

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

A) have outlined

B) were outlining

C) outlines

D) outline

A) Incorrect – "Have outlined" is present perfect, but the sentence requires simple present tense.

B) Incorrect – "Were outlining" is past progressive, which does not fit.

C) Correct – "Outlines" (present tense) is correct because the document still exists and applies today.

D) Incorrect – "Outline" is plural, but "document" is singular.

Mathematician Grigori Perelman, sometimes in conjunction with mathematicians Richard S. Hamilton and Shing-Tung Yau, _______ credited with proving the Poincaré conjecture. Having built on Hamilton’s previous work to solve the proof, Perelman has insisted that Hamilton receive credit. Yau later found and closed gaps in Perelman’s proof, persuading some mathematicians that he deserves credit as well.

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

A) are

B) have been

C) are being

D) is

A) Incorrect – "Are" is plural, but the subject is Perelman (singular).

B) Incorrect – "Have been" is plural and present perfect, which does not fit.

C) Incorrect – "Are being" is incorrectly in the progressive tense.

D) Correct – "Is" correctly matches the singular subject (Perelman).

A member of the Cherokee Nation, Mary Golda Ross is renowned for her contributions to NASA’s Planetary Flight Handbook, which _______ detailed mathematical guidance for missions to Mars and Venus.

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

(A) provided

(B) having provided

(C) to provide

(D) providing

(A) Correct – "Which provided" correctly forms a relative clause with a past-tense verb, aligning with the completed action of writing the handbook.

(B) Incorrect – "Having provided" is a participial phrase and does not function as a main verb.

(C) Incorrect – "To provide" is an infinitive, which does not fit the sentence structure.

(D) Incorrect – "Providing" is a participle and does not form a grammatically complete clause.

The classic children’s board game Chutes and Ladders is a version of an ancient Nepalese game, Paramapada Sopanapata. In both games, players encounter “good” or “bad” spaces while traveling along a path; landing on one of the good spaces _______ a player to skip ahead and arrive closer to the end goal.

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

(A) allows

(B) are allowing

(C) have allowed

(D) allow

(A) Correct – "Allows" is the correct singular verb form that agrees with the singular subject "landing."

(B) Incorrect – "Are allowing" is incorrect because "landing" is singular, requiring a singular verb.

(C) Incorrect – "Have allowed" is present perfect, which does not fit the sentence structure.

(D) Incorrect – "Allow" is plural, while the subject "landing" is singular.

In 1930, Japanese American artist Chiura Obata depicted the natural beauty of Yosemite National Park in two memorable woodcuts: Evening at Carl Inn and Lake Basin in the High Sierra. In 2019, _______ exhibited alongside 150 of Obata’s other works in a single-artist show at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

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

(A) it was

(B) they were

(C) this was

(D) some were

(A) Incorrect – "It" is singular, but the subject is two woodcuts, which are plural.

(B) Correct – "They" correctly refers to the two woodcuts as a plural subject.

(C) Incorrect – "This" is singular and does not match the plural subject.

(D) Incorrect – "Some" introduces ambiguity not supported by the passage.

Recent pollen analyses of the Aran Islands have led some researchers to propose that the now-treeless islands were once wooded. This hypothesis _______ that certain trees, such as P. sylvestris, survived without interruption or human intervention throughout the Holocene cannot stand, researchers Michael O’Connell and Karen Molloy counter, unless other explanations can first be ruled out.

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

(A) suggesting

(B) suggested

(C) suggests

(D) has suggested

(A) Correct – The present participle “suggesting” correctly forms a restrictive participial phrase that clarifies what the hypothesis states.

(B) Incorrect – “Suggested” is a finite verb and cannot function within the subject of the sentence.

(C) Incorrect – “Suggests” creates an ungrammatical sentence as it disrupts the subject structure.

(D) Incorrect – “Has suggested” is also a finite verb and does not fit within the sentence structure.

Researchers studying the “terra-cotta army,” the thousands of life-size statues of warriors found interred near the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang of China, were shocked to realize that the shape of each statue’s ears, like the shape of each person’s ears, _______ unique.

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

(A) are

(B) is

(C) were

(D) have been

(A) Incorrect – "Are" is plural, but "the shape" is singular.

(B) Correct – "Is" correctly matches the singular subject "the shape."

(C) Incorrect – "Were" is past tense and does not match the context.

(D) Incorrect – "Have been" suggests a continuous state that is not necessary here.

British scientists James Watson and Francis Crick won the Nobel Prize in part for their 1953 paper announcing the double helix structure of DNA, but it is misleading to say that Watson and Crick discovered the double helix. ______ findings were based on a famous X-ray image of DNA fibers, “Photo 51,” developed by X-ray crystallographer Rosalind Franklin and her graduate student Raymond Gosling.

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

A) They’re

B) It’s

C) Their

D) Its

A) Incorrect – “They’re” means "they are," which does not fit grammatically.

B) Incorrect – “It’s” means "it is," which is incorrect for referring to Watson and Crick.

C) Correct – “Their” correctly refers to Watson and Crick’s findings.

D) Incorrect – “Its” is singular and would refer to a single entity, not Watson and Crick.

In the historical novel The Surrender Tree, Cuban American author Margarita Engle uses poetry rather than prose _______ the true story of Cuban folk hero Rosa La Bayamesa.

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

A) tells

B) told

C) is telling

D) to tell

A) Incorrect – “tells” would create a grammatically incorrect sentence structure.

B) Incorrect – “told” is past tense, but the sentence refers to an ongoing literary choice.

C) Incorrect – “is telling” does not fit because the sentence does not require a continuous verb.

D) Correct – The infinitive “to tell” properly completes the phrase “uses poetry rather than prose to tell”.

Interest in mechanotransduction, the mechanism by which cells sense and convert mechanical stimuli into biochemical signals, is expanding because of innovative work by biomedical scientists—many of whom, like neuroscience and biophysics expert Elba Serrano, _______ this mechanism to better understand how the body’s neurological and biomechanical systems interact.

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

A) is studying

B) has studied

C) study

D) studies

A) Incorrect – “is studying” would require a singular subject, but “many of whom” refers to multiple scientists.

B) Incorrect – “has studied” refers to a completed action, whereas the sentence describes ongoing research.

C) Correct – “study” correctly matches the plural subject “many of whom”.

D) Incorrect – “studies” is singular and does not match the plural “scientists”.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, automobiles were commonly referred to as horseless carriages after the older technology they still resembled. Known as the Brass Era, this period in automotive design is remembered for its grandeur and artistry, its vehicles _______ by collectors for their ornate detailing and gleaming brass fittings.

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

A) are highly prized

B) had been highly prized

C) highly prized

D) were highly prized

(A) Incorrect – “Are highly prized” creates a second main clause, resulting in a comma splice.

(B) Incorrect – “Had been highly prized” also creates a second main clause, leading to a comma splice.

(C) Correct – The nonfinite past participle phrase “highly prized” correctly modifies the main clause.

(D) Incorrect – “Were highly prized” forms a second main clause, causing a comma splice.

When writing The Other Black Girl (2021), novelist Zakiya Dalila Harris drew on her own experiences working at a publishing office. The award-winning book is Harris’s first novel, but her writing _______ honored before. At the age of twelve, she entered a contest to have a story published in American Girl magazine—and won.

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

A) were

B) have been

C) has been

D) are

A) Incorrect – "Were" is incorrect because "writing" is singular.

B) Incorrect – "Have been" is incorrect because it requires a plural subject.

C) Correct – "Has been" correctly matches the singular subject "writing" and maintains proper verb tense.

D) Incorrect – "Are" is incorrect because it is in the present tense while the passage requires past relevance.

In order to prevent nonnative fish species from moving freely between the Mediterranean and Red Seas, marine biologist Bella Galil has proposed that a saline lock system be installed along the Suez Canal in Egypt’s Great Bitter Lakes. The lock would increase the salinity of the lakes and _______ a natural barrier of water most marine creatures would be unable to cross.

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

A) creates

B) create

C) creating

D) created

A) Incorrect – "Creates" is a singular present-tense verb, but the sentence uses "would increase," which is in the conditional mood. The correct verb form after "would" should be the base form of the verb (create).

B) Correct – "Create" is the base form of the verb, which is the correct parallel form with "would increase" in the conditional structure.

C) Incorrect – "Creating" is a present participle, which would make the sentence ungrammatical. The phrase "would increase and creating" is incorrect.

D) Incorrect – "Created" is in the past tense, which does not match the conditional structure established by "would increase."

Increased gender diversity is revitalizing the field of economics, according to Harvard’s Claudia Goldin. The trailblazing accomplishments of Goldin, winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Economics for her work on women in the labor force, _______ to the value of scholars of diverse backgrounds in spurring research into previously unexplored, but vitally important, topics.

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

A) attests

B) has attested

C) is attesting

D) attest

A) Incorrect – "Attests" is singular, but the subject "accomplishments" is plural, so the verb must also be plural.

B) Incorrect – "Has attested" is singular and does not agree with the plural subject.

C) Incorrect – "Is attesting" is singular, which does not match the plural subject.

D) Correct – The plural verb "attest" correctly agrees with the plural subject "The trailblazing accomplishments" (since "accomplishments" is plural).

Compared to that of alumina glass, _______ silica glass atoms are so far apart that they are unable to re-form bonds after being separated.

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

A) silica glass is at a significant disadvantage due to its more dispersed atomic arrangement:

B) silica glass has a more dispersed atomic arrangement, resulting in a significant disadvantage:

C) a significant disadvantage of silica glass is that its atomic arrangement is more dispersed:

D) silica glass’s atomic arrangement is more dispersed, resulting in a significant disadvantage:

A) Incorrect – The phrase "is at a significant disadvantage" is awkward and does not flow well.

B) Incorrect – The wording does not clearly establish the comparison.

C) Incorrect – The sentence is unclear about what is being compared.

D) Correct – This choice correctly introduces the topic while maintaining proper sentence structure.

To survive when water is scarce, embryos inside African turquoise killifish eggs ______ a dormant state known as diapause. In this state, embryonic development is paused for as long as two years—longer than the life span of an adult killifish.

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

A) enter

B) to enter

C) having entered

D) entering

A) Correct – "Enter" is the simple present, a finite verb that correctly functions as the main verb for the plural subject “embryos.”

B) Incorrect – "To enter" is an infinitive and does not serve as the main finite verb.

C) Incorrect – "Having entered" is a past participle phrase and does not function as the main verb here.

D) Incorrect – "Entering" is a present participle and would require an auxiliary verb to serve as the main verb.

Formed in 1967 to foster political and economic stability within the Asia-Pacific region, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations was originally made up of five members: Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. By the end of the 1990s, the organization ______ its initial membership.

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

A) has doubled

B) had doubled

C) doubles

D) will double

A) Incorrect – "Has doubled" (present perfect) suggests an action that continues into the present, which doesn’t match the past timeframe indicated by “by the end of the 1990s.”

B) Correct – "Had doubled" (past perfect) correctly indicates that the doubling of membership occurred before a specific point in the past (the end of the 1990s).

C) Incorrect – "Doubles" is simple present and does not convey that the action occurred in the past.

D) Incorrect – "Will double" is future tense and does not match the description of a completed action.

One of the earliest known maps is a Babylonian clay tablet thought to be almost 4,500 years old. The map _______ the area of a plot of land, shows a river valley, and includes the cardinal directions.

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

A) describes

B) describe

C) have described

D) are describing

A) Correct – The singular verb “describes” properly agrees with the singular subject “map.”

B) Incorrect – The plural verb “describe” does not agree with the singular subject.

C) Incorrect – “Have described” is plural and does not agree with “map.”

D) Incorrect – “Are describing” is plural and also does not match the subject.

Eighteen letters written by Louisa May Alcott, author of the popular novel Little Women (1868), can be found at the New York Historical Society. _______ letters demonstrate Alcott’s keen business sense in her interactions with publishers.

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

A) One

B) That

C) This

D) These

A) Incorrect – “One” is singular and does not match the plural noun “letters.”

B) Incorrect – “That” is singular and does not agree in number.

C) Incorrect – “This” is singular and cannot modify the plural noun “letters.”

D) Correct – “These” is plural and correctly matches the noun “letters.”

The Dust Bowl was a period of severe drought that plagued the Great Plains of the US during the 1930s. During this time, dust storms _______ over 100 million acres of land. They even reached as far east as New York City.

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

A) are affecting

B) will have affected

C) will affect

D) affected

A) Incorrect – “Are affecting” is present progressive, which does not match the historical context.

B) Incorrect – “Will have affected” is future perfect and does not indicate a past event.

C) Incorrect – “Will affect” is future tense and does not correspond to the 1930s.

D) Correct – “Affected” is past tense and properly indicates that the dust storms occurred during the 1930s.

Featuring jagged peaks of black ink surrounded by hazy swirls of blue and green paint, Zhang Daqian’s 1983 painting Panorama of Mount Lu is inspired by the tradition of qinglü shanshui, a type of Chinese landscape painting _______ by the use of blue and green hues to depict ethereal, otherworldly landscapes.

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

A) has been characterized

B) will be characterized

C) characterized

D) is characterized

A) Incorrect – “Has been characterized” creates an unintended second main clause (comma splice) due to the present perfect tense.

B) Incorrect – “Will be characterized” uses future tense improperly, also resulting in a comma splice.

C) Correct – The nonfinite past participle “characterized” correctly functions within the supplementary element without creating a separate main clause.

D) Incorrect – “Is characterized” would form a separate main clause, resulting in a comma splice with the preceding phrase.

Wanting to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Alaska Purchase, _______ up with a motto that best captured the state’s unique character. The commission selected “North to the Future,” submitted by Juneau journalist Richard Peter, as its winning entry.

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

A) a contest sponsored by the Alaska Centennial Commission would award $300 to an individual who came

B) an award of $300 would go to an individual in a contest sponsored by the Alaska Centennial Commission for coming

C) $300 would be awarded to an individual by the Alaska Centennial Commission in a contest for coming

D) the Alaska Centennial Commission sponsored a contest that would award $300 to an individual who came

A) Incorrect – This option creates a dangling modifier; “a contest” appears to be the subject that “wanted” to celebrate the anniversary.

B) Incorrect – The noun phrase “an award of $300” is incorrectly placed, resulting in a dangling modifier.

C) Incorrect – Placing “$300” as the subject leads to a dangling modifier, implying that the money itself celebrated the anniversary.

D) Correct – This option properly positions “the Alaska Centennial Commission” as the subject that sponsored the contest, ensuring clear and correct modifier placement.

Nowadays, tug-of-war is usually seen as an informal game one might play at a picnic or in gym class. Surprisingly, the Olympic committee once decided _______ tug-of-war as an official Olympic event! Nations competed in the event at the Olympic Games from 1900 to 1920.

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

A) included

B) including

C) include

D) to include

(A) Incorrect – The finite verb “included” results in an ungrammatical sentence and does not correctly follow “decided.”

(B) Incorrect – The participle “including” is ungrammatical in this sentence and cannot serve as the object of “decided.”

(C) Incorrect – The finite verb “include” is ungrammatical here because it does not properly follow “decided.”

(D) Correct – The infinitive “to include” correctly functions as the object of “decided.”

The Globe Theatre in London is a reconstruction of the famed venue where many of Shakespeare’s plays were first performed. In 1613, a prop cannon _______ during a performance and ignited the Globe’s thatched roof. No one was hurt, but in two hours the original Globe was gone.

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

A) malfunctions

B) will malfunction

C) has malfunctioned

D) malfunctioned

(A) Incorrect – The present tense verb “malfunctions” does not match the past-tense verbs in the sentence.

(B) Incorrect – The future tense verb “will malfunction” does not align with the past events described.

(C) Incorrect – The present perfect verb “has malfunctioned” does not fit the past narrative.

(D) Correct – The past-tense verb “malfunctioned” ensures consistency with the past tense verbs “ignited” and “was.”

When a given industry—water and electricity are two well-known examples—carries high infrastructural start-up costs and other barriers that discourage competition, _______ of just one or two suppliers per municipality. Such industries are known as natural monopolies.

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

A) these often consist

B) they often consist

C) it often consists

D) this often consists

(A) Incorrect – The plural pronoun “these” does not agree with the singular antecedent “industry.”

(B) Incorrect – The plural pronoun “they” does not agree with the singular antecedent “industry.”

(C) Correct – The singular pronoun “it” correctly refers back to the singular noun “industry.”

(D) Incorrect – The pronoun “this” is ambiguous, making it unclear what exactly consists of one or two suppliers.

In assessing the films of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, __________ have missed his equally deep engagement with Japanese artistic traditions such as Noh theater.

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

A) many critics have focused on Kurosawa’s use of

B) Kurosawa’s use of Western literary sources has

C) there are many critics who have focused on

D) the focus of many critics has been on Kurosawa’s use of

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes the noun phrase "many critics" the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase "in assessing... Kurosawa." In doing so, this choice clearly establishes that it is the critics—and not another noun in the sentence—who assess Kurosawa's films.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase "Kurosawa's...sources" immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that his use of Western literary sources is what assesses Kurosawa’s films.

Choice C is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the function word "there" immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that "there" is what assesses Kurosawa's films.

Choice D is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase "the focus...critics" immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the critics’ focus is what assesses Kurosawa’s films.

In Death Valley National Park’s Racetrack Playa, a flat, dry lakebed, are 162 rocks—some weighing less than a pound but others almost 700 pounds—that move periodically from place to place, seemingly of their own volition. Racetrack-like trails in the ...

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

A) playa’s sediment mark the rocks’

B) playa’s sediment mark the rocks’s

C) playa’s sediment mark the rocks’s

D) playa’s sediment mark the rocks’

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of plural and possessive nouns. The singular possessive noun "playa’s" and the plural possessive noun "rocks’" correctly indicate that the sediment is that of one playa (the Racetrack Playa) and that there are multiple rocks that have moved across the desert.

Choice A is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun "playa’s" and the plural possessive noun "rocks’," not the plural noun "plays" and the plural noun "rocks."

Choice B is incorrect because the context indicates that the sentence requires the singular possessive noun "playa’s" and the plural possessive noun "rocks’," not the plural noun "playas" and the plural noun "rocks."

Choice D is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun "playa’s," not the plural noun "playas," which would be incorrect in this sentence.

In 2016, engineer Vanessa Galvez oversaw the installation of 164 bioswales, vegetated channels designed to absorb and divert stormwater, along the streets of Queens, New York. By reducing the runoff flowing into city sewers,

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

A) The mitigation of both street flooding and the resulting pollution of nearby waterways has been achieved by bioswales.

B) the bioswales have mitigated both street flooding and the resulting pollution of nearby waterways.

C) the bioswales’ mitigation of both street flooding and the resulting pollution of nearby waterways has been achieved.

D) both street flooding and the resulting pollution of nearby waterways have been mitigated by bioswales.

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes the noun phrase "the bioswales" the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase "By reducing...sewers." In doing so, this choice clearly establishes that the bioswales—and not another noun in the sentence—are reducing runoff flowing into city sewers.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase "the mitigation...waterways" immediately after the modifying phrase results in unclear modification. The resulting sentence makes it hard to determine what is responsible for “reducing the runoff”: the bioswales or some other noun in the sentence.

Choice C is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase "the bioswales’ mitigation...waterways" immediately after the modifying phrase results in unclear modification. The resulting sentence makes it hard to determine what is responsible for “reducing the runoff”: the bioswales or some other noun in the sentence.

Choice D is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase "street flooding and the resulting pollution" immediately after the modifying phrase logically suggests that “the flooding and pollution” are reducing runoff flowing into city sewers.

Compared to that of alumina glass, ______ silica glass atoms are so far apart that they are unable to re-form bonds after being separated.

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

A) silica glass is at a significant disadvantage due to its more dispersed atomic arrangement:

B) silica glass has a more dispersed atomic arrangement, resulting in a significant disadvantage.

C) a significant disadvantage of silica glass is that its atomic arrangement is more dispersed:

D) silica glass’s atomic arrangement is more dispersed, resulting in a significant disadvantage:

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes "silica glass’s atomic arrangement" the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase "compared to that of alumina glass." In doing so, this choice clearly establishes that silica glass’s atomic arrangement—and not another noun in the sentence—is being compared to the atomic arrangement (“that”) of alumina glass.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “silica glass” immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that silica glass itself (rather than its atomic arrangement) is being compared to alumina glass’s atomic arrangement.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “silica glass” immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that silica glass itself (rather than its atomic arrangement) is being compared to alumina glass’s atomic arrangement.

Choice C is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase "a significant disadvantage" immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that “a significant disadvantage” is being compared to alumina glass’s atomic arrangement.

In the historical novel The Surrender Tree, Cuban American author Margarita Engle uses poetry rather than prose to tell the true story of Cuban folk hero Rosa La Bayamesa.

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

A) tells

B) told

C) is telling

D) to tell

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of finite and nonfinite verb forms within a sentence. The nonfinite to-infinitive "to tell" is correctly used to form a nonfinite (infinitive) clause that explains the reason Engle uses poetry in her novel.

Choice A is incorrect because the finite present-tense verb “tells” can’t be used in this way to explain the reason that Engle uses poetry in her novel.

Choice B is incorrect because the finite past tense verb “told” can’t be used in this way to explain the reason that Engle uses poetry in her novel.

Choice C is incorrect because the finite present progressive tense verb “is telling” can’t be used in this way to explain the reason that Engle uses poetry in her novel.

Based on genetic evidence, archaeologists have generally agreed that reindeer domestication began in the eleventh century CE. However, since fragments of a 2,000-year-old reindeer harness in northern Siberia, ______ may have begun much earlier.

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

A) researcher Robert Losey’s argument is

B) researcher Robert Losey has argued

C) domestication, researcher Robert Losey has argued,

D) the argument researcher Robert Losey has made is that domestication

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes the noun phrase “researcher Robert Losey” the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase “since...Siberia.” In doing so, this choice clearly establishes that researcher Robert Losey—and not another noun in the sentence—is who uncovered fragments of a 2,000-year-old reindeer training harness in northern Siberia.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “researcher Robert Losey’s argument” immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the “argument” is what uncovered fragments of a 2,000-year-old reindeer training harness in northern Siberia.

Choice C is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun “domestication” immediately after the modifying phrase logically suggests that “domestication” is what uncovered fragments of a 2,000-year-old reindeer training harness in northern Siberia.

Choice D is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “the argument” immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the “argument” is what uncovered fragments of a 2,000-year-old reindeer training harness in northern Siberia.

African American Percy Julian was a scientist and entrepreneur whose work helped people around the world to see. Named in 1999 as one of the greatest achievements by a US chemist in the past hundred years, ______ led to the first mass-produced treatment for glaucoma.

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

A) Julian synthesized the alkaloid physostigmine in 1935; it

B) in 1935 Julian synthesized the alkaloid physostigmine, which

C) Julian’s 1935 synthesis of the alkaloid physostigmine

D) the alkaloid physostigmine was synthesized by Julian in 1935 and

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes the noun phrase “Julian’s 1935 synthesis” the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase “named...years.” In doing so, this choice clearly establishes that Julian’s 1935 synthesis of the alkaloid physostigmine—and not another noun in the sentence—was named in 1999 as one of the greatest achievements by a US chemist in the past hundred years.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun “Julian” immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that Julian himself was named as one of the greatest achievements by a US chemist in the past hundred years.

Choice B is incorrect because the text presents “Julian’s 1935 synthesis of the alkaloid physostigmine” as the subject, not Julian himself.

Choice D is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the propositional phrase “in 1935” immediately after the modifying phrase illogically and confusingly suggests that “in 1935” was named as one of the greatest achievements by a US chemist in the past hundred years

For thousands of years, people in the Americas used the bottle gourd, a large bitter fruit with a thick rind, to make bottles, other types of containers, and even musical instruments. Oddly, there is no evidence that any type of bottle gourd is native to the Western Hemisphere; either the fruit or its seeds must have somehow been carried from Asia or Africa.

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

A) to use

B) have used

C) having used

D) using

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is finite and nonfinite verb forms within a sentence. A main clause requires a finite verb to perform the action of the subject (in this case, “people in the Americas”), and this choice supplies the finite past perfect tense verb “have used” to indicate what people in the Americas used the gourd for.

Choice A is incorrect because the nonfinite-to-infinitive "to use" doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.

Choice C is incorrect because the nonfinite participle “having used” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.

Choice D is incorrect because the nonfinite participle “using” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.

To survive when water is scarce, embryos inside African turquoise killfish eggs enter a dormant state known as diapause. In this state, embryonic development is paused for as long as two years—longer than the life span of an adult killfish.

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

A) enter

B) to enter

C) having entered

D) entering

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is finite and nonfinite verb forms within a sentence. A main clause requires a finite verb to perform the action of the subject (in this case, “embryos”), and this choice supplies the clause with the finite present tense verb “enter” to indicate how the embryos achieve diapause.

Choice B is incorrect because the nonfinite-to-infinitive “to enter” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.

Choice C is incorrect because the nonfinite participle “having entered” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.

Choice D is incorrect because the nonfinite participle “entering” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.

In his 1963 exhibition Exposition of Music—Electronic Television, Korean American artist Nam June Paik showed how television images could be manipulated to express an artist’s perspective. Today, Paik ______ considered the first video artist.

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

A) will be

B) had been

C) was

D) is

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense. In this choice, the present-tense verb “is,” used in conjunction with the word “today,” correctly indicates that Paik is currently considered the first video artist.

Choice A is incorrect because the future-indicating verb “will be” doesn’t indicate that Paik is currently considered the first video artist.

Choice B is incorrect because the past perfect tense verb “had been” doesn’t indicate that Paik is currently considered the first video artist.

Choice C is incorrect because the past tense verb “was” doesn’t indicate that Paik is currently considered the first video artist.

Like other amphibians, the wood frog (Rana sylvatica) is unable to generate its own heat, so during periods of subfreezing temperatures, it ______ by producing large amounts of glucose, a sugar that helps prevent damaging ice from forming inside its cells. Like other amphibians, the wood frog (Rana sylvatica) is unable to generate its own heat, so during periods of subfreezing temperatures, it ______ by producing large amounts of glucose, a sugar that helps prevent damaging ice from forming inside its cells.

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

A) had survived

B) survived

C) would survive

D) survives

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense. In this choice, the present tense verb “survives” correctly indicates that the wood frog regularly survives subfreezing temperatures by producing large amounts of glucose.Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense. In this choice, the present tense verb “survives” correctly indicates that the wood frog regularly survives subfreezing temperatures by producing large amounts of glucose.

Choice A is incorrect because the past perfect verb “had survived” doesn’t indicate that the wood frog regularly survives subfreezing temperatures by producing large amounts of glucose.

Choice B is incorrect because the past tense verb “survived” doesn’t indicate that the wood frog regularly survives subfreezing temperatures by producing large amounts of glucose.

Choice C is incorrect because the conditional verb “would survive” doesn’t indicate that the wood frog regularly survives subfreezing temperatures by producing large amounts of glucose.

Literary agents estimate that more than half of all nonfiction books credited to a celebrity or other public figure are in fact written by ghostwriters, professional authors who are paid to write other people’s _______ but whose names never appear on book covers.

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

A) people’s stories

B) peoples story’s

C) peoples stories

D) people’s story’s

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of plural and possessive nouns. The plural possessive noun “people’s” and the plural noun “stories” correctly indicate that there are multiple stories from multiple people.

Choice B is incorrect because the context requires the plural possessive noun “people’s” and the plural noun “stories,” not the plural noun “peoples” and the singular possessive noun “story’s.” 

Choice C is incorrect because the context requires the plural possessive noun “people’s,” not the plural noun “peoples.” 

Choice D is incorrect because the context requires the plural noun “stories,” not the singular possessive noun “story’s.”

Like other amphibians, the wood frog (Rana sylvatica) is unable to generate its own heat, so during periods of subfreezing temperatures, it _______ by producing large amounts of glucose, a sugar that helps prevent damaging ice from forming inside its cells.

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

A) had survived

B) survived

C) would survive

D) survives

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense. In this choice, the present tense verb "survives" correctly indicates that the wood frog regularly survives subfreezing temperatures by producing large amounts of glucose.

Choice A is incorrect because the past perfect verb “had survived” doesn’t indicate that the wood frog regularly survives subfreezing temperatures by producing large amounts of glucose. 

Choice B is incorrect because the text uses the verb “survived,” which would be used for one specific occurrence, not something the frog regularly does. 

Choice C is incorrect because the tense of the verb “would survive” doesn’t indicate that the wood frog regularly survives subfreezing temperatures by producing large amounts of glucose.

After a spate of illnesses as a child, Wilma Rudolph was told she might never walk again. Defying all odds, Rudolph didn’t just walk, she _______ the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, she won both the 100- and 200-meter dashes and clinched first place for her team in the 4×100-meter relay, becoming the first US woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympics.

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

A) ran—fast—during

B) ran—fast during

C) ran—fast, during

D) ran—fast. During

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence ("Defying...fast") and another sentence that begins with a supplementary phrase ("During...Olympics").

Choice A is incorrect. When a dash is present in a sentence (“ran—fast”), it’s not conventional to use another dash (“fast—during”) to mark the boundary between sentences because it creates a potentially confusing sentence. In this context, a period, semicolon, or colon would be clearer and more conventional. 

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences ("Defying...fast" and "(During...Olympics)") are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. 

Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences.

In many of her landscape paintings from the 1970s and 1980s, Lebanese American artist Etel Adnan worked to capture the essence of California’s fog-shrouded Mount Tamalpais region through abstraction, using splotches of color to represent the area’s features. Interestingly, the triangle representing the mountain itself _________ among the few defined figures in her paintings.

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

A) are

B) have been

C) were

D) is

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb “is” agrees in number with the singular subject “the triangle.”

Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb “are” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “the triangle.” 

Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb “have been” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “the triangle.” 

Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb “were” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “the triangle.”

Seneca sculptor Marie Watt’s blanket art comes in a range of shapes and sizes. In 2004, Watt sewed strips of blankets together to craft a 10-by-13-inch _________ in 2014, she arranged folded blankets into two large stacks and then cast them in bronze, creating two curving 18-foot-tall blue-bronze pillars.

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

A) sampler later,

B) sampler,

C) sampler,

D) sampler later,

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice uses a semicolon in a conventional way to join the first main clause (“In 2004...sampler”) and the second main clause (“in 2014...pillars”).

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses. The word “later” is an adverb and cannot be used to join two main clauses unless it is preceded by a conjunction. 

Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses. 

Choice D is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses.

Sociologist Alton Okinaka sits on the review board tasked with adding new sites to the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places, which includes Pi‘ilanihale Heiau and the ‘Opaeka‘a Road Bridge. Okinaka doesn’t make such decisions _______ all historical designations must be approved by a group of nine other experts from the fields of architecture, archaeology, history, and Hawaiian culture.

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

A) single-handedly, however; 

B) single-handedly; however,
 
C) single-handedly, however, 

D) single-handedly however

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation of a supplementary word or phrase between two main clauses. This choice correctly uses a comma to separate the supplementary adverb "however" from the preceding main clause ("Okinaka doesn't...single-handedly") and a semicolon to join the next main clause ("all...culture") to the rest of the sentence. Further, placing the semicolon after "however" correctly indicates that the information in the preceding main clause (Okinaka doesn’t make such decisions single-handedly) is contrary to what might be assumed from the information in the previous sentence (Okinaka sits on the review board that adds new sites to the Hawaii Register of Historic Places).

Choice B is incorrect because placing the semicolon after “single-handedly” and the comma after “however” illogically indicates that the information in the next main clause (all historical designations must be approved by a group of experts) is contrary to the information in the previous clause (Okinaka doesn’t make such decisions single-handedly). 

Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Commas can’t be used in this way to punctuate a supplementary word or phrase between two main clauses. 

Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

In his groundbreaking book Bengali Harlem and the Lost Histories of South Asian America, Vivek Bald uses newspaper articles, census records, ship’s logs, and memoirs to tell theIn his groundbreaking book Bengali Harlem and the Lost Histories of South Asian America, Vivek Bald uses newspaper articles, census records, ship’s logs, and memoirs to tell the ____ who made New York City their home in the early twentieth century.

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

A) story’s of the South Asian immigrants

B) story’s of the South Asian immigrants’

C) stories of the South Asian immigrants

D) stories’ of the South Asian immigrants’

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of plural and possessive nouns. The plural nouns “stories” and “immigrants” correctly indicate that the memoir tells multiple stories of multiple immigrants.

Choice A is incorrect because the context requires the plural noun “stories,” not the singular possessive noun “story’s.” 

Choice B is incorrect because the context requires the plural nouns “stories” and “immigrants,” not the singular possessive noun “story’s” and the plural possessive noun “immigrants’.” 

Choice D is incorrect because the context requires the plural nouns “stories” and “immigrants,” not the plural possessive noun “stories’” and the singular possessive noun “immigrants’.”

In her two major series “Memory Test” and “Autobiography”, painter Howardena Pindell explored themes _______ healing, self-discovery, and memory by cutting and sewing back together pieces of canvas and inserting personal artifacts, such as postcards, into some of the paintings.

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

A) of

B) of,

C) of—

D) of:

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a preposition and its complement. No punctuation is needed between the preposition “of” and its complement, the noun phrase “healing, self-discovery, and memory.”

Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between a preposition and its complement. 

Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between a preposition and its complement. 

Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between a preposition and its complement.

Both Sona Charaipotra, an Indian American, and Dhonielle Clayton, an African American, grew up frustrated by the lack of diverse characters in books for young people. In 2011, these two writers joined forces to found CAKE Literary, a book packaging company that specializes in the creation and promotion of stories told from diverse perspectives for children and young adults.

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

A) company,

B) company, that

C) company

D) company, that

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use and punctuation of an integrated relative clause. This choice correctly uses the relative pronoun “that” and no punctuation to create an integrated relative clause that provides essential information about the noun phrase (“a book packaging company”) that it modifies.

Choice A is incorrect because it doesn’t use a relative pronoun to link the verb phrase beginning with “specializes” to the noun phrase that it modifies (“a book packaging company”). 

Choice C is incorrect because it doesn’t use a relative pronoun to link the verb phrase beginning with “specializes” to the noun phrase that it modifies (“a book packaging company”). 

Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the integrated relative clause beginning with “that specializes” and the noun phrase that it modifies (“a book packaging company”).

A study led by scientist Rebecca Kirby at the University of Wisconsin–Madison found that black bears that eat animals for food before hibernation have increased levels of a rare carbon isotope, due to the higher C levels in corn and cane sugar. Bears with these higher levels were also found to have much shorter hibernation periods on average.

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

A) carbon-13, (¹³C)

B) carbon-13 (¹³C)

C) carbon-13- (¹³C),

D) carbon-13 (¹³C).

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence. The comma after “(¹³C)” pairs with the comma after “isotope” to separate the supplementary element “carbon-13 (¹³C)” from the rest of the sentence. This supplementary element defines the “rare carbon isotope,” and the pair of commas indicates that this element could be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element “carbon-13 (¹³C)” from the rest of the sentence. 

Choice B is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element “carbon-13 (¹³C)” from the rest of the sentence. 

Choice C is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element “carbon-13 (¹³C)” from the rest of the sentence. The comma after “carbon-13” isn’t necessary because the parentheses around “¹³C” already separate this element from the rest of the sentence.

In 2010, archaeologist Noel Hidalgo Tan was visiting the twelfth-century temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia when he noticed markings of red paint on the temple walls. The markings, which were made using the same _______ as the markings to be part of an elaborate mural containing over 200 paintings.

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

A) walls, with

B) walls with

C) walls so with

D) walls. With

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period after “walls” is used correctly to mark the boundary between the first sentence (“In...walls”) and the second sentence (“With...techniques”), which starts with a supplementary phrase.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences. 

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences (“In...walls” and “With...paintings”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. 

Choice C is incorrect because, without a comma preceding it, the conjunction “so” can’t be used in this way to join sentences.

Working from an earlier discovery of Charpentier’s, chemists Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna—winners of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry—re-created and then reprogrammed the so-called “genetic scissors” of a species of DNA-cleaving bacteria _____ a tool that is revolutionizing the field of gene technology.

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

A) to forge

B) forging

C) forged

D) and forging

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of finite and nonfinite verb forms within a sentence. The nonfinite to-infinitive “to forge” is correctly used to form a nonfinite (infinitive) clause that explains why the chemists re-created and reprogrammed the DNA-cleaving bacteria.

Choice B is incorrect. Without a comma separating the main clause (“chemists...bacteria”) from the participle “forging,” this choice illogically suggests that the bacteria are forging a tool, which doesn’t make sense. 

Choice C is incorrect. Without a coordinating conjunction such as “and” placed before it, the finite past tense verb “forged” can’t be used in this way to describe the chemists’ actions. 

Choice D is incorrect. If read as a finite verb, the present progressive verb “forging” isn’t consistent with the past tense verbs used in this sentence to describe the actions of the chemists. If read as a nonfinite verb, the participle “forging” can’t be used in this way because there is no following main clause for it to modify.

In 2016, engineer Vanessa Galvez oversaw the installation of 164 bioswales, vegetated channels designed to absorb and divert stormwater, along the streets of Queens, New York. By reducing the runoff flowing into city sewers, _____

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

A) the mitigation of both street flooding and the resulting pollution of nearby waterways has been achieved by bioswales.

B) the bioswales have mitigated both street flooding and the resulting pollution of nearby waterways.

C) the bioswales’ mitigation of both street flooding and the resulting pollution of nearby waterways has been achieved.

D) both street flooding and the resulting pollution of nearby waterways have been mitigated by bioswales.

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes the noun phrase “the bioswales” the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase “By reducing...sewers.” In doing so, this choice clearly establishes that the bioswales—and not another noun in the sentence—are reducing runoff flowing into city sewers.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “the mitigation...waterways” immediately after the modifying phrase results in unclear modification. The resulting sentence makes it hard to determine what is responsible for “reducing the runoff”: the bioswales or some other noun in the sentence. 

Choice C is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “the bioswales’ mitigation...waterways” immediately after the modifying phrase results in unclear modification. The resulting sentence makes it hard to determine what is responsible for “reducing the runoff”: the bioswales or some other noun in the sentence. 

Choice D is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “street flooding and the resulting pollution” immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the “flooding and pollution” are reducing runoff flowing into city sewers.

A study published by Rice University geoscientist Ming Tang in 2019 offers a new explanation for the origin of Earth’s _____ structures called arcs, towering ridges that form when a dense oceanic plate subducts under a less dense continental plate, melts in the mantle below, and then rises and bursts through the continental crust above.

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

A) continents geological

B) continents: geological

C) continents; geological

D) continents. Geological

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a supplementary phrase. In this choice, a colon is correctly used to mark the boundary between the main clause (“A study...continents”) and the supplementary phrase (“geological...above”) and to introduce the following explanation of the origin of Earth’s continents.

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause (“A study...continents”) and the supplementary phrase (“geological...above”) with appropriate punctuation. 

Choice C is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used this way to join the main clause (“A study...continents”) and the supplementary phrase (“geological...above”). A semicolon is conventionally used to separate two independent clauses when a colon is not available. 

Choice D is incorrect because it fails to use punctuation in the correct way and amplifies the information in the preceding clause, making the second sentence a run-on. The sentence should instead use a colon to introduce the supplementary element that expands the idea in the first part of the sentence.

Lê Lương Minh became the thirteenth secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in January 2013, making ________ the first time the organization would appoint a Vietnamese leader.

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

A) these

B) those

C) this

D) some

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is pronoun-antecedent agreement. The singular pronoun "this" agrees in number with the singular antecedent "Lê Lương Minh became the thirteenth secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in January 2013." The pronoun "this" is referring back to the singular event described earlier in the sentence in which Minh became secretary-general of ASEAN.

Choice A is incorrect because the plural pronoun “these” doesn’t agree in number with the singular antecedent “Lê Lương Minh became the thirteenth secretary-general of ASEAN in January 2013.”

Choice B is incorrect because the plural pronoun “those” doesn’t agree in number with the singular antecedent “Lê Lương Minh became the thirteenth secretary-general of ASEAN in January 2013.”

Choice D is incorrect because the indefinite pronoun “some” is ambiguous in this context; this sentence leaving unclear what marks the first time the organization appointed a Vietnamese leader.

In 1929, Edwin Herbert Land invented a polarizing filter that was featured in a number of products, from sunglasses to 3D movies. A decade later, Land ________ his technology to invent the world’s first instant camera, the Polaroid Land camera.\

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

A) used

B) to have used

C) use

D) using

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verb forms within a sentence. A main clause requires a finite (tensed) verb to perform the action of the subject (in this case, Land), and this choice supplies the finite past tense verb "used" to indicate what Land did with the technology he had invented.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The nonfinite perfect infinitive "to have used" doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.

Choice C is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The nonfinite to-infinitive "to use" doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.

Choice D is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The nonfinite participle "using" doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.

An online content creator who uses copyrighted songs without permission risks being demonetized (prohibited from including paid advertisements in content). The best way to avoid demonetization is to choose music from the public domain. Using one of these noncopyrighted songs _______ a creator won’t lose advertising revenue.

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

A) are ensuring

B) have ensured

C) ensure

D) ensures

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb “ensures” agrees in number with the singular subject “using.”

Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb “are ensuring” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “using.”

Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb “have ensured” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “using.”

Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb “ensure” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “using.”

In the music video for the song “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel, the singer lists 118 political and cultural references. Such iconic references, cited in rapid and frenetic procession by the musician, who is seated impassively at a dinner table, ______ key moments and personalities of the twentieth century.

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

A) represents

B) has represented

C) was representing

D) represent

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The plural verb “represent” agrees in number with the plural subject “references.”

Choice A is incorrect because the singular verb “represents” doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject “references.”

Choice B is incorrect because the singular verb “has represented” doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject “references.”

Choice C is incorrect because the singular verb “was representing” doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject “references.”

How did whales, once no bigger than seals, evolve to become the largest animals on Earth? Brazilian biologist Mariana Nery believes the answer might be found in whales’ DNA. In January 2023, Nery and her colleagues ______ a study showing changes over time in four whale genes associated with body size.

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

A) published

B) publishing

C) having published

D) to publish

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verb forms within a sentence. A main clause requires a finite (tensed) verb to perform the action of the subject (in this case, Nery and her colleagues), and this choice supplies the finite past tense verb "published" to indicate that these biologists shared their findings about changes in whale genes associated with body size.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The nonfinite participle “publishing” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.

Choice C is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The nonfinite participle “having published” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.

Choice D is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The nonfinite to-infinitive “to publish” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.

When they were first introduced to Western Europe from Byzantium in the eleventh century, table forks were met with much resistance. The Bishop of Ostia, St. Peter Damian, condemned the eating utensils because he considered ______ dangerous and unnecessary luxury items.

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

A) them

B) this

C) that

D) it

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is pronoun-antecedent agreement. The plural pronoun “them” agrees in number with the plural antecedent: “utensils.”

Choice B is incorrect because the singular pronoun “this” doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent “utensils.”

Choice C is incorrect because the singular pronoun “that” doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent “utensils.”

Choice D is incorrect because the singular pronoun “it” doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent “utensils.”

In her 1983 book The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling, sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild first explored at length her conception of a “sociology of emotions”—the idea that the various cultural and ideological frameworks a person has internalized (class, gender, political affiliation, etc.) ______ each emotional reaction that person has within a situation.

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

A) underlies

B) is underlying

C) underlie

D) has been underlying

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The plural verb "underlie" agrees in number with the plural subject "frameworks."

Choice A is incorrect because the singular verb "underlies" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "frameworks."

Choice B is incorrect because the singular verb "is underlying" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "frameworks."

Choice D is incorrect because the singular verb "has been underlying" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "frameworks."

Both Sona Chariapotra, an Indian American, and Dhonielle Clayton, an African American, grew up frustrated by the lack of diverse characters in books for young people. In 2011, these two writers joined forces to found CAKE Literary, a book packaging __________ specializes in the creation and promotion of stories told from diverse perspectives for children and young adults.

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

A) company,

B) company that,

C) company,

D) company that,

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use and punctuation of an integrated relative clause. This choice correctly uses the relative pronoun "that" and no punctuation to create an integrated relative clause that provides essential information about the noun phrase (“a book packaging company”) that it modifies.

Choice A is incorrect because it doesn’t use a relative pronoun to link the clause beginning with "specializes" to the noun phrase that it modifies ("a book packaging company").

Choice C is incorrect because it doesn’t use a relative pronoun. A comma is needed between the relative clause beginning with "specializes" to the noun phrase that it modifies ("a book packaging company").

Choice D is incorrect because it doesn't use a relative pronoun to link the clause beginning with "specializes" to the noun phrase that it modifies ("a book packaging company").

In 1930, Japanese American artist Chiura Obata depicted the natural beauty of Yosemite National Park in two memorable woodcuts: Evening at Carl Inn and Lake Basin in the High Sierra. In 2019, exhibited alongside 150 of Obata’s other works in a single-artist show at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

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

A) it was

B) they were

C) this was

D) some were

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is pronoun-antecedent agreement. The plural pronoun “they” agrees in number with the plural antecedent “woodcuts” and clearly identifies what was exhibited at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Choice A is incorrect because the singular pronoun “it” doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent “woodcuts.”

Choice C is incorrect because the singular pronoun “this” doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent “woodcuts.”

Choice D is incorrect because the plural pronoun “some” is illogical in this context (referring to “some” of only two woodcuts)

American writer Edwidge Danticat, who emigrated from Haiti in 1981, has won acclaim for her powerful short stories, novels, and __________ her lyrical yet unflinching depictions of her native country’s turbulent history, writer Robert Antoni has compared Danticat to Nobel Prize–winning novelist Toni Morrison.

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

A) essays, praising

B) essays and praising

C) essays praising

D) essays. Praising

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period after “essays” is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“American...essays”) and another (“Praising...Morrison”). The participial phrase beginning with “praising” modifies the subject of the second sentence, “writer Robert Antoni.”

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences.

Choice B is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to join sentences.

Choice C is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences (“American...essays” and “Praising...Morrison”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

In 1966, Emmett Ashford became the first African American to umpire a Major League Baseball game. His energetic gestures announcing when a player had struck out and his habit of barreling after a hit ball to see if it would land out of __________ transform the traditionally solemn umpire role into a dynamic one.

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

A) bounds helped

B) bounds, helping

C) bounds that helped

D) bounds to help

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is finite and nonfinite verb forms within a sentence. A main clause requires a finite verb to indicate the action of the subject (in this case, Ashford's "gestures" and "habit"), and this choice supplies the finite past tense verb "helped" to indicate what Ashford’s gestures and habit helped accomplish.

Choice B is incorrect because the nonfinite participle "helping" doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.

Choice C is incorrect because the relative clause "that helped" doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.

Choice D is incorrect because the nonfinite “to help” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.

In crafting her fantasy fiction, Nigerian-born British author Helen Oyeyemi has drawn inspiration from the classic nineteenth-century fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. Her 2014 novel Boy, Snow, Bird, for instance, is a complex retelling of the story of Snow White, while her 2019 novel __________ offers a delicious twist on the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel.

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

A) Gingerbread—

B) Gingerbread,

C) Gingerbread

D) Gingerbread;

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a subject and a verb. When, as in this case, a subject (“her 2019 novel Gingerbread”) is immediately followed by a verb (“offers”), no punctuation is needed.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb.

Choice B is incorrect because punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb.

Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb.

The violins handmade in the seventeenth century by Italian craftsman Antonio Stradivari have been celebrated as some of the finest in the world. In close collaboration with musicians, Stradivari introduced changes to the shape of a traditional violin, flattening some of the instrument’s curves and __________ making lighter overall.

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

A) those

B) they

C) them

D) it

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is pronoun-antecedent agreement. The singular pronoun “it” agrees in number with the singular antecedent “violin” and thus indicates that the traditional violin (and not its curves) was made lighter.

Choice A is incorrect because the plural pronoun “those” doesn’t agree in number with the singular antecedent “violin.”

Choice B is incorrect because the singular pronoun “one” is ambiguous in this context; the resulting sentence leaves unclear what Stradivari made lighter.

Choice C is incorrect because the plural pronoun “them” doesn’t agree in number with the singular antecedent “violin.”

During the English neoclassical period (1660–1789), many writers imitated the epic poetry and satires of ancient Greece and Rome. They were not the first in England to adopt the literary modes of classical antiquity; some of the most prominent __________ of the earlier Renaissance period were also influenced by ancient Greek and Roman literature.

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

A) antiquity, however,

B) antiquity, however

C) antiquity; however,

D) antiquity; however

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary word or phrase between two main clauses. This choice correctly uses a comma to separate the supplementary adverb “however” from the preceding main clause ("They...antiquity") and a semicolon to join the next main clause ("some...literature") to the rest of the sentence. Further, placing the semicolon after “however” indicates that the information in the preceding main clause (neoclassical writers were not the first to adopt classical literary modes) is contrary to what might be assumed from the information in the previous sentence (the neoclassical writers were unique in imitating classical epic poetry and satires).

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the two main clauses with appropriate punctuation.

Choice B is incorrect because commas can’t be used in this way to punctuate a supplementary word or phrase between two main clauses.

Choice D is incorrect because the semicolon after “antiquity” illogically indicates that the information in the next main clause (prominent Renaissance figures were also influenced by classical literature) is contrary to the information in the previous clause (neoclassical writers were not the first to adopt classical literary modes).

Public-awareness campaigns about the need to reduce single-use plastic bags can be successful, says researcher Kim Borg of Monash University in Australia, when these campaigns give consumers a choice: for example, Japan achieved a 40 percent reduction in plastic-bag use after cashiers were instructed to ask customers whether _______ wanted a bag.

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

A) they

B) one

C) you

D) it

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is pronoun-antecedent agreement. The plural pronoun "they" agrees in number with the plural antecedent "customers."C

Choice B is incorrect because the singular pronoun "one" doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent “customers.”

Choice C is incorrect because the second-person pronoun “you” isn’t conventional as a substitute for "customers." It suggests that the audience (“you”) is the customer.

Choice D is incorrect because the singular pronoun "it" doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent "customers."

A member of the Cherokee Nation, Mary Golda Ross is renowned for her contributions to NASA’s Planetary Flight Handbook, which detailed mathematical guidance for missions to Mars and Venus.

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

A) provided

B) having provided

C) to provide

D) providing

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of finite and nonfinite verb forms within a sentence. Relative clauses, such as the one beginning with "which," require a finite verb, a verb that can function as the main verb of a clause. This choice correctly supplies the clause with the finite past tense verb "provided."

Choice B is incorrect because the nonfinite particle "having provided" doesn’t supply the clause with a finite verb.

Choice C is incorrect because the nonfinite to-infinitive "to provide" doesn’t supply the clause with a finite verb.

Choice D is incorrect because the nonfinite particle "providing" doesn’t supply the clause with a finite verb.

Typically, underlines, scribbles, and notes left in the margins by a former owner lower a book’s _______ when the former owner is a famous poet like Walt Whitman, such markings, known as marginalia, can be a gold mine to literary scholars.

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

A) value, but

B) value

C) value,

D) value but

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of clauses within a sentence. This choice correctly uses a comma and the coordinating conjunction “but” to join a main clause ("Typically...value") and a subordinate clause ("when...Whitman") that precedes a main clause ("such...scholars").

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. A main clause is fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction to a subordinate clause that precedes a main clause.

Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between a main clause and a subordinate clause that precedes a main clause.

Choice D is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction “but” can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a subordinate clause that precedes a main clause.

British scientists James Watson and Francis Crick won the Nobel Prize in part for their 1953 paper announcing the double helix structure of DNA, but it is misleading to say that Watson and Crick discovered the double helix. _______ findings were based on a famous X-ray image of DNA fibers, “Photo 51,” developed by X-ray crystallographer Rosalind Franklin and her graduate student Raymond Gosling.

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

A) They’re

B) It’s

C) Their

D) Its

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of possessive determiners. The plural possessive determiner “their” agrees in number with the plural conjugated noun phrase “Watson and Crick” and thus indicates that the plural nouns refer to Watson and Crick.

Choice A is incorrect because “they’re” is the contraction for “they are,” not a possessive determiner.

Choice B is incorrect because “it’s” is the contraction for “it is” or “it has,” not a possessive determiner.

Choice D is incorrect because the singular possessive determiner “its” doesn’t agree in number with the plural conjugated noun phrase “Watson and Crick.”

In order to prevent nonnative fish species from moving freely between the Mediterranean and Red Seas, marine biologist Bella Galil has proposed that a saline lock system be installed along the Suez Canal in Egypt’s Great Bitter Lakes. The lock would increase the salinity of the lakes and ________ a natural barrier of water most marine creatures would be unable to cross.

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

A) creates

B) create

C) creating

D) created

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of finite and nonfinite verb forms within a sentence. The modal "would," which indicates the future form of a verb, should be accompanied by a nonfinite base form verb. In this choice, the nonfinite base form verb "create" is used correctly in conjunction with the nonfinite base form verb "increase" to describe what the lock would do.

Choice A is incorrect because the finite present tense verb "creates" can't be used in this way with the modal "would" to describe what the lock would do.

Choice C is incorrect because the present particle "creating" can't be used in this way with the modal "would" to describe what the lock would do.

Choice D is incorrect because the finite past tense verb "created" can't be used in this way with the modal "would" to describe what the lock would do.

Lucía Michel of the University of Chile observed that alkaline soils contain an insoluble form of iron that blueberry plants cannot absorb, thus inhibiting blueberry growth. If these plants were grown in alkaline soil alongside grasses that aid in iron solubilization, ________ Michel was determined to find out.

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

A) could the blueberries thrive

B) the blueberries could thrive

C) the blueberries would thrive

D) could the blueberries thrive?

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is end-of-sentence punctuation. This choice correctly uses a question mark to punctuate the interrogative clause "could the blueberries thrive?" at the end of a sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because a period can’t be used in this way to punctuate an interrogative clause.

Choice B is incorrect because the context requires an interrogative clause. The declarative clause "the blueberries could thrive" incorrectly indicates that it was known that the blueberries could thrive in alkaline soil, whereas Michel had yet to find this out.

Choice C is incorrect because a question mark can’t be used in this way to punctuate a declarative clause, such as "the blueberries could thrive," at the end of a sentence.

The classic children’s board game Chutes and Ladders is a version of an ancient Nepalese game, Paramapadā Sopanapāta. In both games, players encounter “good” or “bad” spaces while traveling along a path; landing on one of the good spaces allows a player to skip ahead and arrive closer to the end goal.

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

A) allows

B) are allowing

C) have allowed

D) allow

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "allows" agrees in number with the singular subject "landing."

Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb "are allowing" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "landing."

Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb "have allowed" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "landing."

Choice D is incorrect because the plural verb "allow" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "landing."

The Boston Saloon was one of the most popular African American–owned establishments in nineteenth-century Nevada. _______ by businessman William A.G. Brown, the saloon was known to offer elegant accommodations and an inclusive environment.

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

A) Created

B) Creates

C) Creating

D) Create

A) Correct – The past participle "Created" is used here to modify the noun phrase "the saloon," indicating who established it.

B) Incorrect – The present tense "creates" is not appropriate here, as the sentence needs to describe a past event.

C) Incorrect – The present participle "creating" does not fit grammatically as it would suggest ongoing action, which is incorrect in this context.

D) Incorrect – The base form "create" is also not appropriate in this context.

“He was just the man for such a place, and it was just the place for such a man.” This line is from Frederick Douglass’s autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845). It’s an example of antimetabole, a writing technique that _______ emphasis by repeating a statement in a reversed order.

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

A) create

B) are creating

C) have created

D) creates

A) Incorrect – "Create" does not agree in number with the singular subject.

B) Incorrect – "Are creating" is plural and does not agree with the singular subject.

C) Incorrect – "Have created" is also plural and does not agree with the singular subject.

D) Correct – The singular subject "technique" requires the singular verb "creates."

In a painting titled “The Milkmaid” by Johannes Vermeer, the artist prominently features a bread basket, milk pitcher, and bowl. Such quotidian objects, depicted in exquisite detail by Vermeer, a painter celebrated for his naturalism, _______ the daily minutiae of a seventeenth-century Dutch household.

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

A) was revealing

B) has revealed

C) reveals

D) reveal

A) Incorrect – "Was revealing" is a past continuous form and does not agree with the plural subject "objects."

B) Incorrect – "Has revealed" is present perfect and doesn’t match the plural subject.

C) Incorrect – "Reveals" is singular, while the subject "objects" is plural.

D) Correct – "Reveal" is the correct plural form that agrees with the plural subject "objects."

One of the few African American global explorers during the turn of the 20th century, _______

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

A) Matthew Henson made several treks across Greenland between 1891 and 1909.

B) 1891 and 1909 were the years between which Matthew Henson made several treks across Greenland.

C) Greenland was where Matthew Henson made several treks between 1891 and 1909.

D) several treks across Greenland were made by Matthew Henson between 1891 and 1909.

A) Correct – The sentence correctly begins with a modifier describing Matthew Henson and follows with a clear main clause.

B) Incorrect – This introduces a dangling modifier; “1891 and 1909” doesn’t match the initial phrase.

C) Incorrect – Suggests Greenland is the explorer, which is nonsensical.

D) Incorrect – The subject becomes “several treks,” making the modifier illogical.

Woven from recycled yarn and hand tufted using a carpet weaving technique passed down by the artist’s Turkish grandmother, _______ so lush and tactilely inviting that you are tempted to reach out and touch them.

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

A) the topological tapestries of Argentine textile artist Alexandra Kehayoglou are

B) the Argentine textile artist Alexandra Kehayoglou creates topological tapestries that are

C) when she creates her topological tapestries, Argentine textile artist Alexandra Kehayoglou makes them

D) Alexandra Kehayoglou is an Argentine textile artist whose topological tapestries are

A) Incorrect – The opening modifier, "woven from recycled yarn and hand tufted," incorrectly refers to the artist instead of the tapestries.

B) Correct – The structure is clear and maintains correct grammar and flow. "Creates" properly refers to the action and connects with the description of the tapestries.

C) Incorrect – "When she creates" creates a misplaced clause that makes the sentence awkward and unclear.

D) Incorrect – "Is" creates a passive construction that doesn't fit well with the active description in the sentence.

A species of Byropsis algae produces toxins to avoid being eaten by predators. However, in some cases, the toxins the organism uses to protect itself from predation actually _______ its attractiveness to predators. The Hawaiian sea slug, for example, not only tolerates Byropsis toxins but actually uses them for protection in the same way the algae does.

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

A) is increasing

B) increase

C) increases

D) has increased

A) Incorrect – "Is increasing" is not the correct tense in this context.

B) Correct – "Increase" correctly agrees with the plural subject "toxins."

C) Incorrect – The verb "increases" is singular, so it doesn’t agree with the plural subject "toxins."

D) Incorrect – "Has increased" suggests a past action with ongoing effects, which is not the intended meaning here.