SAT Reading & Writing · Form, Structure, and Sense
By the time the new librarian finished cataloging the rare-book collection, previous staff members ______ several volumes to other…
By the time the new librarian finished cataloging the rare-book collection, previous staff members ______ several volumes to other institutions without proper documentation.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Answer and explanation
Answer: C: had transferred
Two events occur at different points in the past: the undocumented transfers happened first, and the new librarian's completion of cataloging happened afterward, revealing what had already occurred. That earlier-past-before-a-later-past sequence calls for the past perfect, *had transferred*. *Transfer* is present tense and doesn't fit a narrative set in the past. *Transferred* places both events at the same rough time, losing the sequence. *Have transferred* incorrectly ties the transfers to the present moment instead of to a point before the cataloging was finished.
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