Question 183·Hard·Form, Structure, and Sense
In 1845, more than two centuries after astronomer Tycho Brahe meticulously cataloged the night sky, Friedrich Struve ______ Brahe's records to identify potential double star systems.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For Standard English verb questions, first strip away introductory phrases and modifiers to find the core clause (subject + verb). Decide what form is needed in the blank: a main finite verb, or something else. Then quickly classify each option (finite verb, infinitive, participle, etc.), eliminate any that cannot grammatically serve as the main verb, and among the remaining choices, pick the one that matches the sentence’s time frame and meaning. This structure-first approach is faster and more reliable than trying to "feel" what sounds right.
Hints
Focus on the main clause
Mentally remove the introductory phrase up to the comma. What is the basic subject–verb–object structure that remains?
Think about verb completeness
Ask yourself: Does the blank need a full verb that shows tense, or just a verb form that depends on something else?
Classify the options
Decide which choices are infinitives or participles and which, if any, are complete verb phrases that can serve as the main verb of the sentence.
Match the time frame
The sentence refers to events in 1845, long after Brahe's work. Which option best expresses an action Struve did during that time while keeping the sentence grammatically complete?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the sentence structure
Ignore the introductory phrase set off by commas: "In 1845, more than two centuries after astronomer Tycho Brahe meticulously cataloged the night sky,".
What remains is the core of the sentence: "Friedrich Struve ______ Brahe's records to identify potential double star systems." Here, "Friedrich Struve" is the subject, so the blank must hold the main verb of the sentence.
Determine what kind of word is needed
Because this is the main clause, the blank must be filled with a finite verb (a verb form that shows tense and agrees with the subject), such as "consulted" or "was consulting." Non-finite verb forms like an infinitive ("to consult") or a participle ("consulting") cannot, by themselves, serve as the only verb in this independent clause.
Check each answer choice’s verb form
Now look at each option and decide whether it can act as the main verb of the clause:
- "to consult" is an infinitive (non-finite) and usually comes after another verb (like "began to consult").
- "consulting" is a present participle, which needs a helping verb (like "was consulting") or must be used as a modifier.
- "having consulted" is a perfect participle, used to show completed action before another action (e.g., "Having consulted the records, he made a list"), and also needs a main clause.
- One option is a complete, tensed verb phrase that can directly follow the subject "Friedrich Struve" and describe what he did in 1845.
Confirm tense and meaning, then select the answer
The sentence places the action in past time ("In 1845" and "more than two centuries after" Brahe’s work), so we need a past-time narrative verb that can stand as the main verb. The only choice that is a complete, finite verb phrase and fits this past narrative—"Friedrich Struve ___ Brahe's records to identify potential double star systems"—is "would consult" (Choice A).