Question in-199
In 1994, almost 200 years after the death of Wang Zhenyi, the International Astronomical blank the contributions of the barrier-breaking 18th-century astronomer and author of “Dispute of the Procession of the Equinoxes,” naming a crater on Venus after her.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Union would finally acknowledge
Union to finally acknowledge
Union, having finally acknowledged
Union, finally acknowledging
In 1994, almost 200 years after the death of Wang Zhenyi, the International Astronomical ______ blank
Hard-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. It’s the only choice that offers a form of the verb “acknowledge” that can go with the subject “International Astronomical Union” to make a complete sentence. This might seem like an odd use of “would,” but when speaking from a point of view in the past, we can actually use “would” to express something that happened later. That’s the case here: 200 years after Wang Zhenyi’s death, the IAU would finally acknowledge her contributions.
Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a sentence fragment. There’s no main verb elsewhere in the sentence, so we need a form of the verb “acknowledge” that can go with the subject “the International Astronomical Union” and serve as that main verb. “To acknowledge” can’t do that. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a sentence fragment. There’s no main verb elsewhere in the sentence, so we need a form of the verb “acknowledge” that can go with the subject “the International Astronomical Union” and serve as that main verb. “Having acknowledged” can’t do that. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a sentence fragment. There’s no main verb elsewhere in the sentence, so we need a form of the verb “acknowledge” that can go with the subject “the International Astronomical Union” and serve as that main verb. The “-ing” form can’t do that.
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