Question in-192
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 blank 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?
used
to have used
to use
using
In 1929, Edwin Herbert Land invented a polarizing filter that was featured in a number of
Medium-difficulty · SAT Reading & Writing · Form, Structure, and Sense — Modifier placement and clarity. Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.
Answer explanation
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 indie 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.
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