To better predict severe weather events, an international team of meteorologists has developed a new algorithm. The researchers expect that the program will speed up data processing and _____ the accuracy of climate models.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For verb-form questions like this, first find the helping verb (such as "will," "has," or "is") and the main verb it controls. If two actions share the same subject and helping verb, make sure both verbs are parallel in form, and remember that after helpers like "will" and "can" you must use the base (dictionary) form of the verb. Test each choice by reading it in the sentence with the implied helping verb and quickly reject forms that break tense consistency (-s, -ed, or -ing endings where they don’t belong).
Hints
Check the helping verb
Focus on the words just before the blank: what helping verb (like "is," "was," "will") appears before the first verb?
Look at the structure around "and"
Notice that there are two actions connected by "and." Should they match in form (for example, both base forms, or both -ing forms)?
Think about verb form after "will"
After a future-tense helper like "will," what form of the verb do you usually use: with -s, with -ed, with -ing, or the plain dictionary form?
Step-by-step Explanation
Locate the verb phrase with the blank
Read the part of the sentence around the blank:
"...the program will speed up data processing and _____ the accuracy of climate models."
You have a helping verb, "will," followed by the verb "speed up," and then the conjunction "and" leading to the blank. The blank must be another verb that pairs with "will" and matches "speed up."
Notice how the helping verb "will" works
In English, when two verbs share the same subject and helping verb, we usually say the helping verb only once.
Here, the subject is "the program" and the helping verb is "will." The full structure is:
"the program will speed up data processing and [will] _____ the accuracy..."
The "will" is understood before the second verb, even though it is not repeated.
Decide which verb form fits after an implied "will"
After the helping verb "will," we use the base form of the verb (the form you would find in a dictionary, without -s, -ed, or -ing endings).
So the second verb after "and" should be in the same base form as "speed" in "speed up." That creates a parallel structure: "will speed up" and "will _____."
Choose the answer that uses the correct base verb form
Look at the choices:
- "improves" (adds -s)
- "improve" (base form)
- "improved" (past tense)
- "improving" (-ing form)
Only "improve" is the base form that correctly completes the parallel structure with "will speed up":
"the program will speed up data processing and improve the accuracy of climate models."