Question 118·Easy·Form, Structure, and Sense
Because the museum's main gallery is undergoing renovations, its painting exhibitions will be temporarily relocated to the annex, _____ visitors to check the posted signs for updated room numbers.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For sentence-structure questions like this, first locate the main subject and verb to see whether you already have a complete clause before the blank. Then decide if the blank should introduce a new independent clause (which would need a conjunction or clear subject-verb pair) or a dependent/modifying phrase (often an -ing form). Finally, use the meaning of the sentence—especially cause/effect vs purpose—to choose between similar forms like infinitives ("to" + verb) and participles (-ing).
Hints
Find the main clause first
Ignore the beginning "Because" phrase for a moment. Identify the subject and main verb of the sentence before the blank. Ask yourself: is the sentence already complete at that point?
Decide if you need a new sentence or a modifier
After the comma and before the blank, you already have a full idea. Should the blank introduce another full statement, or just add extra information about what happens as a result of that statement?
Think about meaning: purpose vs result
Does the sentence describe why the exhibitions are being relocated, or what happens because they are relocated? Pick the form that best matches that idea.
Compare the verb forms carefully
Notice how each answer changes the structure: one is an -ing form, one is an infinitive ("to" + verb), and two are simple past/present forms. Which one fits most smoothly after a comma to extend the existing clause?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the core sentence structure
First, strip the sentence down to its main parts:
- Intro clause: "Because the museum's main gallery is undergoing renovations," (dependent clause)
- Main clause: "its painting exhibitions will be temporarily relocated to the annex," (complete sentence)
After this main clause, the blank comes after a comma. That means we likely need a phrase that adds information about the relocation, not a new full sentence.
Decide what kind of word or phrase is needed
After a complete main clause and a comma, you usually add:
- a conjunction plus another clause (e.g., "and they will...") or
- a modifying phrase (often starting with an -ing verb form) that describes result or additional detail.
Here, there is no conjunction like "and" or "which" before the blank, so a modifying phrase that smoothly attaches to the main clause is needed.
Check each verb form against the sentence structure
Test each option in the sentence:
- "..., its painting exhibitions will be temporarily relocated to the annex, prompts visitors..." — This makes "prompts" act like another main verb, which creates a sentence-structure error (a kind of run-on), and it also mismatches subject-verb agreement ("exhibitions ... prompts").
- "..., will be temporarily relocated to the annex, prompted visitors..." — "prompted" looks like part of a passive or past-tense structure but has no clear subject or helping verb; the sentence becomes ungrammatical.
- "..., will be temporarily relocated to the annex, to prompt visitors..." — This infinitive phrase is grammatically possible, but now it suggests the purpose of relocating the paintings is to make visitors check signs, which is illogical. The relocation happens because of renovations, not in order to make visitors check signs.
We need a form that attaches as a result or consequence of the relocation, not as a new main verb or a strange purpose clause.
Choose the participle that shows result
The -ing form (a present participle) can create a phrase that describes the result of the previous action: "[they will be relocated], ___ visitors to check the posted signs." This reads as "which will cause visitors to check...," matching both the grammar and the intended meaning.
So the correct choice is A) prompting.