Question 230·Medium·Form, Structure, and Sense
The museum curator explained that the delicate fossils, which had been unearthed only weeks before, require immediate stabilization, cataloging, and ____ before they can be displayed to the public.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For SAT questions about Standard English conventions, especially with lists, first find the verb and then identify what comes after it. If there is a list (often separated by commas and "and"), check that all items are the same part of speech and serve the same grammatical role. Compare each answer choice to the existing items: the correct choice will match their form (all nouns, all verbs, all -ing forms, etc.) and keep the list parallel and smooth.
Hints
Focus on the list after "require"
Look carefully at the words that come after "require": "stabilization, cataloging, and ____." All three items should be the same kind of word.
Check the part of speech
Ask yourself: Are "stabilization" and "cataloging" naming actions/things (nouns) or are they telling what someone is doing right now (verbs)? The blank should match that pattern.
Compare each option to the pattern
For each answer choice, decide if it can fit naturally into the list: "require stabilization, cataloging, and _____." Say the full list out loud in your head and see which type of word sounds consistent.
Step-by-step Explanation
Recognize the sentence structure
Look at the part of the sentence after "require": "require immediate stabilization, cataloging, and ____ before they can be displayed." This is a list of three items that the fossils require.
Identify the grammatical pattern
The first two items in the list, "stabilization" and "cataloging," are both nouns naming actions or processes. The third blank must match this pattern: it also needs to be a noun that can act as an object of the verb "require."
Classify the answer choices by part of speech
Now, think about what each option is:
- "analyze" is a base-form verb (as in "they analyze"),
- "analyzing" is usually a verb form or gerund,
- "to analyze" is an infinitive verb form,
- "analysis" is a noun. Only the noun choice fits grammatically with "stabilization" and "cataloging."
Choose the word that matches the list
To keep the list parallel and grammatically correct—three nouns after the verb "require"—the blank should be filled with "analysis", so the list reads "stabilization, cataloging, and analysis."