SAT OwlQuestion bank / Form, Structure, and Sense
The Great Pyramid of Giza, ______ for the pharaoh Khufu around 2560 BCE, remained the tallest human-made structure in the world for more than 3,800 years.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
builds
was built
built
is built
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C
The phrase between the commas describes the pyramid, and the sentence's main verb is "remained." The past participle "built" correctly begins this descriptive phrase. A finite verb like "was built" would create a second main verb with no conjunction or relative pronoun.
Choice B is the correct tense, but as a finite verb it can't be dropped into the middle of a sentence that already has the main verb "remained."
Got it wrong? On SAT Owl, Owl looks at the answer you chose and explains the exact mistake, then gives you similar questions until it sticks. Get your predicted SAT score free.