Question #N78
The scientist knew that the study would be lengthy, and they were looking for a volunteer who would be able to commit to a long-term project. They had a hunch that the data would not be clear until years after the experiment began, but they were confident in the overall methodology.
Which choice best revises the underlined portion of the sentence to maintain the formal style of the passage?
A. They knew that the data wouldn’t be clear until years after the experiment began, but they were confident in the overall methodology.
B. They knew that the data wouldn’t be clear until years after the experiment began, and they were confident in the overall methodology.
C. The scientist knew that the data would not be clear until years after the experiment began, and they were confident in the overall methodology.
D. They knew that the data wouldn’t be clear until years after the experiment began, and they were confident in the overall methodology.
Correct Answer is: A
The underlined portion of the sentence should maintain consistency with the tense of the rest of the passage. Since the passage uses the past tense, the past tense form of "would not be" is the most appropriate choice.