1. Valerie recalls her college years with such nostalgia that she often lost herself in reminiscence.

A. she often lost herself in reminiscence.
B. she often had lost herself in reminiscence.
C. she often loses herself in reminiscence.
D. she often will be losing herself in reminiscence.
E. she often will have lost herself in reminiscence.

Valerie recalls her college years with such nostalgia that she often lost herself in reminiscence.

Grammar issue presented: verb tense
'recalls' sets up a situation in the present. Though Valiere's college years took place in the past, she remembers them now, and therefore loses herself in reminiscence (present tense).

A. she often lost herself in reminiscence.
Proper tense? NO (past)

B. she often had lost herself in reminiscence.
Proper tense? NO (past-perfect)

C. she often loses herself in reminiscence.
Proper tense? YES (present)

D. she often will be losing herself in reminiscence.
Proper tense? NO (future)

E. she often will have lost herself in reminiscence.
Proper tense? NO (future perfect)

C) is the only choice which uses present tense, remaining consistent with the situation that is described in the non-underlined portion of the sentence.

2. Before it will be made availale to the public, the painting was sold to a private collector and is currently on hold at the auction house awaiting pick-up.

A. Before it will be made available to the public
B. Before it can be made available to the public
C. Before it could have been made available to the public
D. Before it has been made available to the public
E. Before it was made available to the public

Before it will be made availale to the public, the painting was sold to a private collector and is currently on hold at the auction house awaiting pick-up.

Grammar issue presented: verb tense
The underlined portion of the sentence is in the wrong tense. We are setting up a hypothetical situation, saying that the painting could not be made available to the public, because it was sold to a private collector before the public was able to gain access to it. We need to use the future perfect.

The correct sequence of events is this:
1) Sold to a private collector
2) Hypothetically: would have been available to the public
3) On hold at auction house

A. Before it will be made available to the public
Proper tense? NO (future progressive)

B. Before it can be made available to the public
Proper tense? NO (present)

C. Before it could have been made available to the public
Proper tense? YES (past progressive)

D. Before it has been made available to the public
Proper tense? NO (past)

E. Before it was made available to the public
Proper tense? NO (past)

C) is the only choice which uses present tense. It sets up a hypothetical situation in the past, from which the other events in the sentence end up taking the place of (also in the past).

3. In 79 CE, when Vesuvius erupted, the Villa of the Papyri was being covered in 90 feet of volcanic ash, and was preserved as the sole library of Antiquity.

A. was being covered in 90 feet of volcanic ash, and was preserved
B. was covered in 90 feet of volcanic ash, and was preserved
C. was covered in 90 feet of volcanic ash, and has been preserved
D. had been covered in 90 feet of volcanic ash, and is preserved
E. is covered in 90 feet of volcanic ash, and was preserved

In 79 CE, when Vesuvius erupted, the Villa of the Papyri was being covered in 90 feet of volcanic ash, and was preserved as the sole library of Antiquity.

Grammar issue presented: verb tense
The beginning of the sentence sets up a situation: 'when Vesuvius erupted.' This means that the rest of the sentence is going to tell us what happened during the time of the eruption. Since the eruption happened in the past, the rest of the sentence will have to be in the past as well.

A. was being covered in 90 feet of volcanic ash, and was preserved
Proper tense? NO (past progressive): 'was being,' the past progressive, does not make sense with the rest of the sentence: 'was preserved' would have to also be in the past progressive for this to work

B. was covered in 90 feet of volcanic ash, and was preserved
Proper tense? YES (past)
Additional errors? NONE

C. was covered in 90 feet of volcanic ash, and has been preserved
Proper tense? YES (past)
Additional errors? YES 'had been preserved' (past perfect)

D. had been covered in 90 feet of volcanic ash, and is preserved
Proper tense? NO (past-perfect progressive)
Additional errors? YES 'is preserved' (present)

E. is covered in 90 feet of volcanic ash, and was preserved
Proper tense? NO (present)

B) correctly contains the past tense throughout.

4. In the history of life on earth there have been five mass extinctions; the most recent is the K-T extinction which occurred at the end of the Cretaceous period, and wiped out the non-avain dinosaurs, among many other species.

A. the K-T extinction which occurred at the end of the Cretaceous period, and wiped out
B. the K-T extinction which had occurred at the end of the Cretaceous period, and wiped out
C. the K-T extinction, which, occurring at the end of the Cretaceous period, had wiped out
D. the K-T extinction which began occurring at the end of the Cretaceous period, and wiped out
E. the K-T extinction which occurs at the end of the Cretaceous period, and wiped out

In the history of life on earth there have been five mass extinctions; the most recent is the K-T extinction which occurred at the end of the Cretaceous period, and wiped out the non-avain dinosaurs, among many other species.

Grammar issue presented: verb tense
The beginning of the sentence tells us that there 'have been' five mass extinctions. Because the sentence uses 'have been,' the present perfect progressive tense, describing an action that began in the past and continues in the present, we know that mass extinctions are ongoing phenomena. However, the rest of the sentence describes extinctions of the past, and so, must also be in the past.

A. the K-T extinction which occurred at the end of the Cretaceous period, and wiped out
Proper tense? YES (past)

B. the K-T extinction which had occurred at the end of the Cretaceous period, and wiped out
Proper tense? NO (past-perfect, past): Since we are only discussing one event: the K-T extinction, the past-perfect is unnecessary. Using the past perfect makes the details of the K-T extinction seem to be separate events from the extinction itself.

C. the K-T extinction, which, occurring at the end of the Cretaceous period, had wiped out
Proper tense? NO (present, past-perfect)
Additional errors: Run-on!

D. the K-T extinction which began occurring at the end of the Cretaceous period, and wiped out
Proper tense? YES (past)
Additional errors: Unclear! The extinction happened long ago, so it is not necessary to state when it began or that it continued on. Doing so makes it unclear whether the event had a definite end or if it is still in progress.

E. the K-T extinction which occurs at the end of the Cretaceous period, and wiped out
Proper tense? NO (present, past)

A) uses the past tense throughout the description of the K-T extinction. It is the most clear, and therefore, the best choice.

D. Voice

6. COMPARISONS