Question 109·Easy·Form, Structure, and Sense
Although the trail _____ steep near the summit, hikers of all ages enjoy it.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For sentence-completion questions about Standard English conventions, first locate the subject and determine whether the blank is part of a full clause that needs a main verb. Check the tense implied by the sentence (general fact, ongoing action, completed action) and then pick the verb form that both matches that tense and agrees in number with the subject. Quickly eliminate answer choices that are non-finite forms (infinitives like "to go," participles like "going") or that fail subject–verb agreement.
Hints
Look at the word before the blank
Notice that the clause starts with "Although." This means you’re in a full clause that must have its own subject and main verb before the comma.
Identify the subject of the verb
Ask yourself: what is doing the action or experiencing the condition in this part of the sentence? Is that subject singular or plural?
Think about verb form and tense
You are describing a general characteristic of the trail. What tense is usually used for general facts, and which choice is that kind of verb form that agrees with a singular subject?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the clause and subject
The word "Although" introduces a dependent (subordinate) clause. That clause must have its own subject and main verb: "Although the trail ___ steep near the summit, ...".
Here, the subject of the blank is "the trail," which is singular.
Decide on the tense and type of word needed
The sentence talks about something that is generally true about the trail: it is steep near the summit. For general facts, English normally uses the simple present tense.
Also, because this is a full clause, the blank must be filled by a finite verb (a main verb that shows tense and agrees with the subject), not a phrase like an infinitive or participle.
Eliminate choices that are not finite verbs
Check each option’s form:
- "becoming" is a participle; it usually needs a helping verb, as in "is becoming."
- "to become" is an infinitive; it usually follows another verb, as in "wants to become."
- "become" is the base form; by itself in the present tense, it pairs with plural subjects ("they become") or with "I/you/we/they," not a singular noun.
None of these forms work as the correctly conjugated main verb for the singular subject "trail" in this clause.
Choose the simple present verb that matches the subject
The sentence needs the simple present, third-person singular form of the verb, which ends in -s and agrees with "the trail." The only option that fits is "becomes", so the complete sentence is: "Although the trail becomes steep near the summit, hikers of all ages enjoy it."