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ACT English 2.1 Passage Drill 210 Views


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Description:

ACT English: Passage Drill Drill 2, Problem 1. What is the correct tense for the underlined portion?

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:03

Here's your Shmoop du jour, brought to you by kitty shampoo. Because sometimes kitty

00:07

spit just isn't enough.

00:13

Check out the following passage.

00:30

How would you correct the following underlined portion from the passage? Does it need correcting?

00:45

Although this is a tense question, we'll need to rely on context. Because the cat continues

00:50

to prefer the great indoors in the present, the attempt to avoid washing the cat occurs

00:55

in the present tense as well.

00:57

This means we can eliminate choice (A), since the word "tried" is in the past tense.

01:02

That "ed" ending gives it away every time.

01:05

Choice (C) is also a no. "Have tried" is in the present perfect tense, not the simple

01:09

present that we need.

01:11

We use the present perfect when we're talking about things that occurred at an unspecified

01:15

time in the past. Though that might apply here, it doesn't jibe with the verb tense

01:19

in the sentence that follows. So ultimately (C) is incorrect.

01:23

Choice (D) is incorrect as well because "have been trying" is in the present perfect continuous

01:28

tense. We use the present perfect continuous to show that an action started in the past,

01:32

is going on now, and may continue on into the future. Sure, the chances are that this

01:38

cat-owner will still be trying to avoid washing her cat in the days to come...

01:41

But again this doesn't match the simple past tense of the following sentence.

01:46

The correct answer is (B), since "try" is in the simple present tense.

01:51

We always attempt to avoid washing cats, so the present tense makes plenty of sense here.?

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