Question 238·Easy·Form, Structure, and Sense
During the summer, the city’s public parks program offers free outdoor concerts every weekend. Community volunteers set up chairs and sound equipment early in the morning so that by the time audiences arrive, everything ______ in place and ready.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For verb tense questions, first locate all the verbs that are not underlined and note their tense—this is your default. Then check the time clues (like "every weekend," "usually," "last year") to decide whether the sentence is describing a habit, a specific past event, or a future plan. Eliminate any choices that create a tense shift not clearly required by the context, and prefer the simplest tense that correctly matches the established timeline and meaning.
Hints
Look at the time words
Focus on phrases like "during the summer" and "every weekend." Are we talking about a single event or something that happens regularly?
Match the surrounding verb tense
Check the verbs "offers" and "set up." What tense are they in, and what tense is usually used to describe habits or routines?
Consider the clause with the blank
The blank comes after "by the time audiences arrive." What tense is "arrive"? Which answer choice matches that tense and describes the state of everything at that moment?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the time frame and situation
Read the whole sentence: it talks about what happens "during the summer" and "every weekend." This describes a routine or general habit, not a one-time event in the past or future.
Check the tenses of the unchanged verbs
Notice the verbs that are not underlined: the program "offers" free concerts, and volunteers "set up" chairs and equipment. Both are in the simple present tense, which is the usual tense for describing regular, repeated actions.
Think about what the blank should express
The blank comes after "by the time audiences arrive," which is also in the present tense. The blank describes the state of "everything" at that time (its condition: in place and ready), not an action completed at some special time in the past or future.
Match the tense and choose the best option
To keep the sentence consistent and correctly describe a habitual situation, the verb in the blank should also be in the simple present tense. Among the choices, only B) is uses the simple present and fits smoothly: "by the time audiences arrive, everything is in place and ready."