Question 142·Easy·Form, Structure, and Sense
During her tenure as director from 2005 to 2012, Dr. Nguyen ______ the research department's budget by 20 percent, allowing several new projects to move forward.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For verb tense questions, first locate any time clues (dates, phrases like "in the past," "currently," or "by next year"). Decide whether the action is completed in the past, ongoing, or in the future. Then quickly eliminate any answer choices whose tense does not match that time frame, and choose the one that maintains consistent, logical tense throughout the sentence.
Hints
Pay attention to the dates
Focus on the phrase "During her tenure from 2005 to 2012." Is this describing the present, the future, or a finished time in the past?
Think about verb tense and time
Ask yourself: Is the action happening now, going to happen later, or did it already begin and end in the past?
Match the tense to a finished time period
For an action that took place entirely within a completed time frame, which verb form is generally used in English: present, past, present perfect, or future?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the time frame
Look at the phrase at the beginning of the sentence: "During her tenure from 2005 to 2012." Both years are in the past, and the end year (2012) shows this time period is completely finished.
Match the tense to a completed past action
The verb that describes what Dr. Nguyen did to the budget must match this finished time period. For actions that started and ended in the past, English typically uses the simple past tense (like "worked," "led," "changed").
Check each verb choice against the time frame
Now compare each option to the 2005–2012 time frame:
- "increases" is present tense (now or generally true)
- "has increased" is present perfect (past to present, often with an unspecified or ongoing time)
- "will increase" is future (later than now) Only the simple past form correctly matches an action fully completed by 2012, so the correct choice is "increased".