Question 84·200 Super-Hard SAT Reading Questions·Standard English Conventions
The lead researcher insisted that the preliminary data, which statisticians had compiled under intense time pressure, _____ accessible to every member of the review board before any recommendations were issued.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For questions testing verb forms after particular verbs, first identify the main verb that controls the clause with the blank (here, "insisted"). Decide whether that verb is expressing a fact, a time relationship, or a demand/recommendation. When it is a demand or recommendation (insist, require, demand, recommend, suggest, etc.), remember the pattern "verb + that + subject + base verb" (often called the subjunctive). Eliminate options that use ordinary past, present, or conditional tenses that merely state facts or predictions, and choose the one that fits this demand-pattern and matches the sentence’s time and logic.
Hints
Locate the controlling verb
Focus on the phrase "insisted that" and notice that it introduces the clause containing the blank. Ask yourself: is this clause describing a fact, or something the researcher wanted to happen?
Think about the time and purpose
The action in the blank must happen before any recommendations are issued. Is the sentence reporting what normally happens, what already happened, or what the researcher demanded should happen?
Recognize the special pattern for demands
In English, after verbs like "insist," "demand," and "recommend" (when they express a requirement), we use a special verb form in the "that" clause. Look for the choice that matches that pattern, instead of a simple past or present tense.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the clause you are completing
The blank is in the clause:
"...insisted that the preliminary data ... _____ accessible to every member of the review board before any recommendations were issued."
So you are choosing the verb phrase that completes "that the preliminary data ... ___ accessible." The main verb controlling this clause is "insisted."
Decide what "insisted that" means here
Here, "insisted that" does not mean "claimed that" or "stated that" something was already true. Instead, it shows that the researcher demanded or required that something be done before recommendations were issued.
So the verb in the "that" clause should express a requirement or demand, not a simple statement of past or present fact.
Recall the grammar pattern after verbs of demand
In Standard English, after verbs that express demands or recommendations (such as "insist," "demand," "recommend," and "require"), we typically use a special pattern often called the "subjunctive":
- demand/insist/recommend/require + that + subject + base form of the verb (no -s, no past ending)
For example:
- "She demanded that the report be submitted on time."
- "They recommended that the data be reviewed carefully."
Match the pattern to the choices
We need a passive verb phrase using the base form after "insisted that":
- "was made" = past tense (describes a completed fact)
- "is made" = present tense (describes what generally or currently happens)
- "would be made" = conditional/future-in-the-past (describes a prediction or expectation)
- "be made" = base form used in the subjunctive after a demand
Only "be made" fits the "insisted that" + requirement pattern and correctly expresses that the researcher demanded that the data be made accessible before any recommendations were issued.