SAT OwlQuestion bank / Form, Structure, and Sense
Marine biologist and writer Rachel Carson, whose 1962 book Silent Spring warned of the dangers of widespread pesticide use, ______ widely credited with helping to launch the modern environmental movement.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
being
having been
is
to be
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C
The subject is "Rachel Carson," and the clause beginning with "whose" only describes her. The sentence still needs a main verb, and the finite verb "is" provides one. "Being," "having been," and "to be" cannot serve as a main verb.
Choice A sounds natural after the long description, but "being" is not a finite verb, so the sentence would have no main verb.
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