Richard Spikes was a prolific African American inventor known for his contributions to automotive engineering. Between 1907 and 1946, he

Question

Richard Spikes was a prolific African American inventor known for his contributions to automotive engineering. Between 1907 and 1946, he patented many inventions, blank an automobile turn signal, a safety brake, and—most famously—the first automatic gearshift.

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

Accepted Answer

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of nonfinite verb forms within a sentence. The nonfinite present participle "including" is correctly used to form a participial phrase that supplements the main clause "he patented many inventions," listing several of Spikes&rsquo;s patented inventions. Choice A is incorrect because the finite past tense verb "included" can&rsquo;t be used in this way to supplement the main clause "he patented many inventions." Choice B is incorrect because the finite present tense verb "includes" can&rsquo;t be used in this way to supplement the main clause "he patented many inventions." Choice D is incorrect because the finite future tense verb "will include" can&rsquo;t be used in this way to supplement the main clause "he patented many inventions."

Question e0a588