Question 145·Easy·Form, Structure, and Sense
First published in 1998, the field guide quickly became popular; by the early 2000s, it ______ several times.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For verb tense questions on the SAT, first underline all time clues (dates, phrases like "by then," "already," "in 2010"). Decide whether the sentence describes the present, the future, or a sequence of past events. If one past action happened before another past time or event, look for the past perfect ("had" + past participle), often in passive form if the subject receives the action. Then quickly eliminate any choices whose tense conflicts with the time line, and pick the one that matches both the time frame and voice (active vs. passive) implied by the sentence.
Hints
Notice the time markers
Focus on the phrases "First published in 1998" and "by the early 2000s." Ask yourself: Are we talking about the present, the future, or a situation fully in the past?
Think about the order of events
The publication in 1998 happens first, and by the early 2000s, something has already happened several times. What verb tense do we usually use for an action completed before another time in the past?
Match the tense to the timeline
Look at each choice and identify its tense (present perfect, past perfect, simple present, or future). Which tense correctly shows that the action was already finished by a particular time in the past?
Step-by-step Explanation
Locate the time clues in the sentence
Look closely at the time phrases:
- "First published in 1998"
- "by the early 2000s"
Both refer to times in the past, and "by the early 2000s" shows a deadline point in the past by which something was already true or already completed.
Decide what time relationship the blank must show
The sentence says the guide was first published in 1998, and then, by the early 2000s, something had already happened to it several times. That means the action in the blank must be completed before the time point "by the early 2000s," which itself is in the past. This situation usually calls for the past perfect tense ("had" + past participle). Also, because the guide receives the action (it is reprinted), the verb should be in the passive voice.
Eliminate choices that don’t match the time frame
Check each option’s tense against the meaning of the sentence:
- One choice uses present perfect ("has" + past participle), which connects past actions to the present and doesn’t fit a sentence locked in the past.
- One choice uses simple present ("is" + past participle), which describes what regularly happens now or generally, not what was true by a time in the past.
- One choice uses future ("will" + be + past participle), which describes what will happen later, not what was already true by the early 2000s.
All of these conflict with the clearly past time frame and the idea that the action was already completed by that past point.
Choose the verb that shows a completed action before a past time
The remaining option uses the past perfect passive, which expresses that the guide already had undergone several reprintings by the early 2000s. Therefore, the correct answer is "had been reprinted."