Question 185·Medium·Form, Structure, and Sense
Intrigued by the results of early experiments, ______ to design a more efficient battery that could store solar energy for weeks at a time.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For Standard English conventions questions that ask you to complete a sentence, first identify the structure: find the introductory phrase, then locate where the main subject and verb should go. Make sure any introductory modifier (like "Intrigued by...") clearly and logically describes the noun that immediately follows the comma. Then compare answer choices for a complete, grammatical clause, preferring clear, concise, active constructions over passive or wordy alternatives. Always reread the full sentence with your chosen answer to confirm it sounds natural and logical.
Hints
Find the subject of the main clause
Ask yourself: after the comma, who is doing the main action in the sentence, and what is that action?
Connect the introductory phrase to the right noun
The phrase "Intrigued by the results of early experiments" describes someone. Which option puts that someone immediately after the comma?
Check for clarity and concision
Between the choices that are grammatically possible, which one is the most direct and active, without extra, unnecessary words or passive constructions?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what’s missing from the sentence
Read the sentence with the blank:
"Intrigued by the results of early experiments, ______ to design a more efficient battery that could store solar energy for weeks at a time."
The part before the comma is an introductory phrase describing who was intrigued. After this phrase, we need a complete main clause with a clear subject (who) and verb (what they did).
Match the introductory phrase to the correct subject
The phrase "Intrigued by the results of early experiments" must logically describe a person or group who can feel intrigue. The noun that comes right after the comma should be that person or group.
So we want the word right after the comma to refer to the people who were intrigued: the scientists.
Check each option for subject placement and clarity
Now see how each option starts and who it makes the subject:
- A) starts with "a new line of research" (this makes the research seem intrigued, which is illogical and creates a misplaced modifier).
- B) starts with "pursuing a new line of research" and delays "the scientists" to later in the phrase in an awkward, inverted structure.
- C) starts with "the scientists," directly tying the introductory phrase to the correct noun.
- D) starts with "the pursuit of a new line of research," again making an abstract noun (the pursuit) seem intrigued and creating wordiness and passive voice.
Choose the option that forms a clear, active sentence
We need a sentence where:
- The noun right after the comma is the one intrigued by the experiments.
- The clause is complete and grammatical.
- The wording is clear and not unnecessarily passive or wordy.
Only C) "the scientists pursued a new line of research" satisfies all of these conditions, giving the complete sentence:
"Intrigued by the results of early experiments, the scientists pursued a new line of research to design a more efficient battery that could store solar energy for weeks at a time."