SAT OwlQuestion bank / Form, Structure, and Sense
The bristlecone pines of California's White Mountains, some of which have been growing for nearly 5,000 years, ______ among the oldest known living organisms on Earth.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
being
which are
having been
are
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D
The subject is "The bristlecone pines," and the clause between the commas only describes them. The sentence still needs a main verb. "Are" is a finite plural verb that completes the sentence. The other choices leave the sentence without a main verb.
Choice B adds "which," which turns the rest of the sentence into another descriptive clause and leaves "pines" without a main verb.
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