Question 118·Easy·Form, Structure, and Sense
Despite the popularity of electric scooters, city officials have struggled to keep sidewalks safe. A new regulation _____ the problem by limiting the number of rental scooters each company may deploy.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For Standard English sentence-completion questions, first isolate the sentence with the blank and identify its subject; then decide what role the blank must play (main verb, modifier, connector, etc.). Quickly test each option by reading it in the sentence and asking whether it produces a complete, grammatical sentence with correct subject–verb agreement. Eliminate options that create fragments or awkward structures, and prefer the simplest choice that clearly and directly completes the thought.
Hints
Look for the main subject and main verb
Focus on the second sentence: "A new regulation _____ the problem by limiting the number of rental scooters each company may deploy." Identify the subject and ask yourself what word should tell what that subject does.
Check for sentence fragments
Ask: with each choice in the blank, does the second sentence become a full sentence with a clear action, or does it sound like part of a sentence (a fragment)?
Pay attention to verb forms
Some verb forms (-ing forms, infinitives, or participles) often act as modifiers instead of the main verb. Which option gives a straightforward present-tense action that matches "A new regulation"?
Step-by-step Explanation
Read the whole sentence and notice the structure
Look at the second sentence on its own: "A new regulation _____ the problem by limiting the number of rental scooters each company may deploy."
We have a clear subject, "A new regulation," followed by a blank and then the rest of the idea. This means the blank must be filled with a verb form that completes the main action of the sentence.
Decide what kind of verb form is needed
Because "A new regulation" is the subject of the sentence, we need a main verb that tells us what the regulation does in the present: it does something to "the problem."
So we are looking for a finite verb (a verb that can stand alone as the main verb of the sentence), not just a phrase or a modifier.
Check each option for sentence completeness and agreement
Go through the choices and imagine them in the sentence:
- "A new regulation addressing the problem..." – this uses the -ing form, which usually acts as a modifier and does not serve as the main verb.
- "A new regulation to address the problem..." – this uses an infinitive, which also modifies "regulation" and does not act as the main verb.
- "A new regulation addresses the problem..." – this uses a simple present verb that matches the singular subject and can stand as the main verb.
- "A new regulation having addressed the problem..." – this is a participial phrase and sounds incomplete without another main verb.
Only one of these forms actually makes the sentence into a complete statement.
Choose the verb that makes a complete, correct sentence
The only option that serves as a main verb and agrees with the singular subject "A new regulation" is "addresses", giving the complete, standard-English sentence: "A new regulation addresses the problem by limiting the number of rental scooters each company may deploy."