SAT OwlQuestion bank / Form, Structure, and Sense
The Arctic tern has the longest known migration of any animal. Every year, it ______ from its breeding grounds in the Arctic to the waters around Antarctica and back again, a round trip that can exceed 70,000 kilometers.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
migrated
had migrated
will have migrated
migrates
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D
"Every year" signals a repeated, ongoing action, and the first sentence uses the present tense ("has"). The simple present "migrates" is correct.
Choice A uses the past tense, but the text describes something the bird does every year, not a single past event.
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