SAT OwlQuestion bank / Form, Structure, and Sense
The system of canals and locks that engineers built across the region in the 1830s, which allowed barges loaded with coal and grain to travel between the river and the coastal ports, ______ largely unused by the 1880s, when railroads had taken over most of the traffic.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
were
have been
are
was
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D
Strip away the interrupters and the sentence reads "The system ... was largely unused by the 1880s." The subject "system" is singular, and "by the 1880s" puts the sentence in the past, so "was" is correct.
Choice A agrees with the plural nouns "canals and locks," "barges," or "ports," but each of those sits inside a phrase or clause that modifies the subject.
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. "Were" agrees with nearby plural nouns like "canals and locks," but the subject is the singular "system."
- B. "Have been" is plural and present perfect, while the subject is singular and the time is the past.
- C. "Are" is plural and present tense, so it fails in both number and tense.
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, or take a free full-length practice test.