ACT question.. Need the real explanation.

Test Preparation ACT Preparation
1

<p>In the 1850s the O’odham (have borrowed) from the waltzes and mazurkas of people of European descent on their way to California.</p>

<p>F)NO CHANGE
G)have been borrowing
H)were borrowed
J)borrowed</p>

<p>What is the correct answer and why?</p>

2

<p>J is the correct answer. I’m not really sure how to explain it to you though.</p>

3

<p>Well you might simply be confusing the tenses themselves.</p>

<p>Have been is from the past to the present. [ENGLISH</a> PAGE - Present Perfect Continuous](<a href=“http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfectcontinuous.html]ENGLISH”>Present Perfect Continuous Tense | ENGLISH PAGE)</p>

<p>etc.</p>

4

<p>simplicity usually works- I vote J</p>

5

<p>Answering the question depends on, as others have said, both tense recognition and object/subject analysis. The sentence says “In the 1850s,” so we know we’re dealing with past tense. This eliminates answer (F) and (G), both forms of the present tense. To eliminate answer (H) without getting into an object/subject discussion, consider the context of the sentence and think about whether or not it makes sense. If the “O’odham” are a group of people, it makes sense that the group was not borrowed from the dances of other groups of people (a group of people can’t be borrowed from dances). Thus (H) is eliminated. The only answer that makes sense is (J) borrowed, which satisfies both the tense and the object/subject relationship.</p>

6

<p>Wow. I never thought about using subject/object testing on that question. I think I might have locked my mind into only using one test for questions… Not a good idea.</p>

<p>REALLY thanks for that! Now I will know to be more observant.</p>