The science museum's new wing, ______ to celebrate the centennial of space exploration, features interactive exhibits on planetary missions.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
When a blank appears in a phrase set off by commas, identify the noun that the phrase modifies and decide whether that noun performs or receives the action. If the noun receives the action, a past participle often forms the required adjective-like modifier. Then insert each option and check both grammatical structure and logical meaning.
Hints
Look at the commas
Notice that the blank is inside a phrase set off by commas. Ask yourself whether that phrase acts as a full sentence or merely adds a description of the noun "wing."
Think about who receives the action
Determine whether the wing performs the action or whether something was done to the wing for a particular purpose.
Find an adjective-like verb form
The word in the blank must describe "wing" in the way that a word such as "built" or "created" could. Look for the option that can fill that role without additional words.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the role of the blank
The blank appears in a phrase set off by commas: "The science museum's new wing, ______ to celebrate the centennial of space exploration, features interactive exhibits..." This phrase provides additional information about "the science museum's new wing," so the blank must help form a modifier of "wing."
Determine the needed verb form
The wing received the action: someone designed it to celebrate the centennial. Therefore, the sentence needs a past participle that can introduce a reduced passive clause equivalent to "which was designed to celebrate..."
Test the choices
The finite verb "designs" would create an additional main verb between commas, and the base form "design" cannot serve as the needed modifier. The present participle "designing" would illogically suggest that the wing performs the action of designing. The past participle "designed" correctly describes an action performed on the wing.
Complete the sentence
The completed sentence reads: "The science museum's new wing, designed to celebrate the centennial of space exploration, features interactive exhibits on planetary missions." The participial phrase correctly modifies "wing."