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Standard English Conventions Difficulty: Medium

Tortoises can be found in many works of literature. For example, in Tom Stoppard’s 1993 play Arcadia, there is a tortoise that blank by two names (Plautus and Lightning) and appears in both of the play’s parallel timelines. As a character, the tortoise symbolizes the connection between the past and present.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

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Explanation

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense in a sentence. In this choice, the present tense verb "goes" is consistent with the other present tense verbs ("appears" and "symbolizes") used to describe the tortoise in Stoppard’s play. Furthermore, it’s conventional to use the present tense when discussing a literary work.

Choice B is incorrect because the future perfect tense verb "will have gone" isn’t consistent with the other present tense verbs used to describe the tortoise in Stoppard’s play. Choice C is incorrect because the past tense verb "went" isn’t consistent with the other present tense verbs used to describe the tortoise in Stoppard’s play. Choice D is incorrect because the past perfect tense verb "had gone" isn’t consistent with the other present tense verbs used to describe the tortoise in Stoppard’s play.