Musicologist Priya Nwosu's searchable catalog of early field recordings, many of which had previously been attributed only to unnamed singers, _____ regional variations in tempo and ornamentation that older inventories overlooked and thereby giving historians a more precise basis for tracing musical exchange, has transformed research on performances preserved on wax cylinders.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For sentences with long modifiers, first reduce the sentence to its subject and main verb. Once the core clause is complete, treat material between commas as modifying information. Then check nearby coordinated words, such as those joined by “and,” to confirm that their grammatical forms are parallel.
Hints
Find the core clause
Ignore the phrases between commas and identify the subject and the verb that completes the sentence's main statement.
Examine the coordinated ideas
Look at the grammatical form of “giving” after “and thereby.” The blank should establish a structure that can coordinate smoothly with that word.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the sentence's core
Temporarily remove the modifying information. The core is “Musicologist Priya Nwosu's searchable catalog ... has transformed research.” The subject is “catalog,” and its main verb is “has transformed.”
Determine the blank's function
Because the sentence already has a main verb, the blank should not contain another finite verb. Instead, it begins a phrase describing what the catalog does and how it has transformed research.
Check the parallel structure
The blank must be parallel with “giving” in the construction “_____ regional variations ... and thereby giving historians.” The participles “revealing” and “giving” form a clear, grammatical pair.