Question 179·200 Super-Hard SAT Reading Questions·Standard English Conventions
The researchers argued that the surprising results of the pilot study _____ definitive only after the full double-blind trial had been completed, cautioning journalists against drawing premature conclusions.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For verb tense and form questions, first locate the main verb(s) and any time markers (such as before, after, had been, yesterday, in the future). Decide the timeline: what happens first, what happens later, and from whose point of view you are seeing the events. Then quickly test each option against that timeline, eliminating any that shift tense without a reason (for example, jumping from past narration to present progressive) or that change the meaning (such as making something already finished when the sentence clearly treats it as future. In sentences with reporting verbs like argued, said, or claimed, remember that future actions from that past point are often expressed with would (future-in-the-past) rather than will.
Hints
Use the main verb as your time anchor
Look at the main verb argued. Is this telling you about the present, the past, or the future? Keep that time frame in mind when choosing the verb for the blank.
Pay attention to the phrase after the blank
Focus on the words only after the full double-blind trial had been completed and the idea of *premature conclusions. Does this suggest that the results were already definitive at that time, or that they would become definitive later?
Match the tense to a future-from-the-past idea
Ask yourself: At the time the researchers argued, had the results already been judged definitive, or were they talking about how the results will be judged in the future? Choose the verb form that shows something expected to happen later, from that past moment.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the timeline and meaning
First, interpret what is happening and when:
- The main verb is in the past: The researchers argued.
- They are also cautioning journalists against drawing premature conclusions, which means they are warning that it is too early to treat the pilot-study results as final.
- The sentence also says only after the full double-blind trial had been completed, so the results become definitive later, after that larger trial finishes.
Decide what tense the missing verb needs
We need a verb phrase that matches this idea:
- At the time they argued, the full double-blind trial was not yet completed.
- The study results will be judged definitive in the future, but only after that later trial is done.
- So the blank must show a judgment that is future relative to the past moment when they argued.
Test each tense against the timeline
Now compare each option with that timeline:
- are being considered: present progressive; describes something happening now, not as a future plan from a past point of view. It clashes with the past argued and with the idea of a future condition.
- were considered: simple past; suggests the results had already been judged definitive at some point in the past, which contradicts the warning against premature conclusions.
- had been considered: past perfect; describes something that was already finished before another past event, again not a future judgment after the trial.
- We want a form that expresses a judgment that will happen later, from the past viewpoint of argued.
Choose the verb that shows future-in-the-past
A verb with a modal like would shows a future action viewed from a past time ( for example, direct speech: The results will be considered definitive only after... becomes reported speech: They argued that the results would be considered definitive only after...).
Among the choices, only “would be considered” correctly expresses that future-in-the-past meaning and matches the warning about premature conclusions. Therefore, the correct answer is D) would be considered.