Question 193·Easy·Form, Structure, and Sense
The biography of Ada Lovelace highlights her correspondence with Charles Babbage, letters that ______ the early development of computer science.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For questions testing verb forms in relative clauses (clauses starting with "that," "who," or "which"), first locate the noun that the relative pronoun refers to; this is the subject of the verb in the clause. Determine whether that subject is singular or plural, then pick the verb form that matches in number and creates a complete, natural-sounding clause. Quickly eliminate -ing and "to" forms if the sentence clearly needs a normal finite verb after the relative pronoun.
Hints
Focus on the phrase with "that"
Read carefully from "letters that" to the end of the sentence. Ask yourself: what role does the blank play in this part of the sentence?
Identify the subject of the clause
In the phrase "letters that ______ the early development of computer science," what word is doing the action in the blank? Is it singular or plural?
Match the verb form to the subject
Once you know whether the subject is singular or plural, eliminate any answer choices whose verb forms do not agree with that subject.
Check for complete, standard structure
Make sure the phrase "letters that ______ the early development of computer science" is a complete and natural-sounding description, not a fragment or awkward structure.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the clause and what’s missing
Look at the phrase around the blank: "letters that ______ the early development of computer science."
The word "that" introduces a clause describing "letters." Inside that clause, we need a verb to tell what the letters do.
Find the subject of the missing verb
Ask: What is doing the action in the clause?
The clause is "that ______ the early development of computer science," and it is talking about "letters." So the subject of the missing verb is "letters," which is plural.
Decide the correct verb form for a plural subject
For present-tense verbs:
- Singular subjects take verbs that end in -s (for example, "letter documents").
- Plural subjects take the base verb form without -s (for example, "letters document").
Since "letters" is plural, the verb in the clause must also be plural (base form) to agree with it.
Test each answer choice in the sentence
Plug each option into the sentence:
- "letters that documents" – verb form does not match plural "letters."
- "letters that documenting" – this -ing form does not create a complete clause.
- "letters that to document" – the infinitive form does not fit after "that" here.
- "letters that document" – plural verb matches the plural subject and creates a clear, correct clause.
So the correct answer is D) document.