Question 121·Easy·Form, Structure, and Sense
Throughout her speeches, environmental activist Asha Patel stresses reducing plastic waste and ______ a simple message: individual choices, when multiplied across communities, can drive global change.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For verb tense and agreement questions, first locate the subject and the first main verb, then identify the time frame (past, present, general habit, ongoing action, etc.) from context clues like "often," "throughout," or dates. When verbs are joined by conjunctions like "and," make sure they match in tense and agree with the subject (especially singular subjects needing -s in the simple present). Eliminate any choices whose tense or form breaks this parallel structure or doesn’t fit the time frame indicated by the sentence.
Hints
Spot the first verb
Underline the main verb that is already in the sentence ("stresses"). What tense is it in, and who is doing that action?
Look at the word before the blank
Notice the word and right before the blank. It is joining two actions that the same person, Asha Patel, is doing. How should the second action’s verb relate to the first one?
Use the time clue
The phrase "Throughout her speeches" describes something that happens regularly. Which verb tense is normally used for general habits and repeated actions?
Eliminate mismatched tenses
Cross out any answer choices whose verbs are in a different tense or form from the first verb, "stresses." That should leave you with the best match.
Step-by-step Explanation
Find the main subject and first verb
Look at the core of the sentence: "environmental activist Asha Patel stresses reducing plastic waste and ______ a simple message."
The subject is Asha Patel, and the first main verb is stresses, which is in the simple present tense and agrees with the singular subject (it ends in -s).
Understand the sentence structure
The word and joins two actions that Asha does:
- She stresses reducing plastic waste
- She ______ a simple message
So the blank must also be filled with a main verb that works with the same subject, Asha Patel, making a compound predicate (two verbs sharing one subject).
Match the tense and form
Because the sentence says "Throughout her speeches," it talks about something she regularly does, not a one-time event. For general, repeated actions, English usually uses the simple present tense (like "stresses," "speaks," "encourages").
So the second verb should also be in the simple present, third-person singular form to match "stresses." That means we want a verb that:
- Describes an action she does now/regularly
- Is in simple present
- Ends in -s to agree with "Asha Patel"
Select the choice that fits
Check each option:
- communicated – simple past
- is communicating – present progressive ("is" + -ing)
- communicates – simple present, third-person singular
- has communicated – present perfect ("has" + past participle)
Only "communicates" matches the tense and form of "stresses" and fits the general-habit meaning of the sentence.
Correct answer: communicates.