A verb form question tests whether a blank gives the subject a main verb with the right time and meaning. First, find the blank's own subject and check which verb belongs to it. A main verb shows tense itself or uses a helper; -ing and to forms can't do this alone. Then check time and meaning using the nearby verbs and what happens in the sentence. In active voice, the subject does something; in passive voice, something is done to it.
Hints
- Hint 1
Start with the part beginning with While. Which subject does “were adopted” belong to?
- Hint 2
Check whether the proposal has a main verb of its own. Does the verb after before belong to the main part, and what tense do the nearby verbs use?
Step-by-step
Find the main verb, then check the time
Step 1Set aside the opening part
The opening While most of the committee's suggestions were adopted without debate is about the suggestions, so they're its subject. Can its verb tell us what the proposal did? It can't, because the opening verb belongs to the suggestions, so we still need to check whether the blank needs a main verb.
- Step 2
Check the proposal's part
After the comma, one proposal is the subject. Reading to the period, do we find its main verb? The verb in before it was finally approved belongs to that before part, not the main part. So the blank needs a main verb; sparking and to spark can't be one on their own.
- Step 3
Check the time and who caused the controversy
Which main verb fits the time and meaning? The verbs were adopted and was finally approved put the events in the past, and the proposal caused significant controversy. The proposal causes the controversy, but has been sparked makes it the thing being started. The past form sparked gives the sentence the main verb it needs. Choice D.