Question 158·Medium·Form, Structure, and Sense
Although Michael Faraday had little formal education, his meticulous record-keeping and willingness to question established theories ______ him to formulate the principles of electromagnetic induction.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For verb tense and form questions, first isolate the main clause by mentally crossing out introductory phrases. Identify the subject and where the main verb must go. Next, use time clues (such as past dates or verbs like “had”) to decide on the appropriate tense, usually simple past versus present. Eliminate options that are the wrong tense, that use -ing forms that cannot act as the main verb, or that create awkward, wordy constructions. Finally, plug the remaining option back into the sentence and check that it reads as a clear, complete, and consistent statement.
Hints
Find the core of the sentence
Mentally remove the beginning “Although Michael Faraday had little formal education” and focus on what comes after the comma. What is the subject there, and what action did it perform?
Use the time clue
Notice the verb tense in “Michael Faraday had little formal education.” Is this talking about the present or the past? Your verb in the blank should match that time frame.
Think about verb form, not just tense
Ask yourself: Does the sentence need a simple, finished action, or an ongoing action? Also, can an -ing word stand alone as the main verb in this spot?
Check for sentence completeness
Try each option in the blank and read the whole sentence out loud. Which one makes the sentence a clear, grammatically complete statement about what his record-keeping and willingness did?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the main subject and verb position
Ignore the introductory clause starting with “Although Michael Faraday had little formal education.” The main clause begins at “his meticulous record-keeping and willingness to question established theories ______ him to formulate….” Here, the blank must be filled with the main verb that goes with the subject “his meticulous record-keeping and willingness to question established theories.”
Determine the time frame of the sentence
The sentence talks about a historical figure (Michael Faraday) and uses the past tense verb “had” in the introductory clause: “Although Michael Faraday had little formal education….” This shows the sentence is describing completed actions in the past, so the main verb in the blank should also fit that past-time, completed-action context.
Check verb tense and form for each option
Now look at the choices:
- “enable” is present tense.
- “enabling” is an -ing form (a participle/gerund), not a main past-tense verb.
- “was enabling” is a past progressive form (suggesting an ongoing action) and also creates an awkward, wordy structure here.
- One option is a simple past tense that states a complete fact about what his record-keeping and willingness did for him.
Match the correct simple past verb to the sentence
Because the sentence is about a completed fact in the past, we want a simple past verb that states what his record-keeping and willingness did: they enabled him to formulate those principles. So the correct choice is “enabled.”