In the question a part of the sentence is BOLD. Alternatives to the BOLD part…
2024
In the question a part of the sentence is BOLD. Alternatives to the BOLD part are given which may improve the sentence. Choose the correct alternative.
The more cautious commanders of the Army of the Potomac, such as George McClellan and George Meade, chose to withdraw after costly battles, but commander Ulysses Grant’s strategy was the keeping up of pressure on Lee’s Confederates even after losing a battle to them, and then he occupied positions between Lee’s army and Richmond to invite another open battle.
- A.
was the keeping up of pressure on Lee’s Confederates even after losing a battle to them, and then he occupied
- B.
was keeping up pressure on Lee’s Confederates even after losing a battle to them, and then to occupy
- C.
having kept up pressure on Lee’s Confederates even after losing a battle to them, he then occupied
- D.
was to keep up pressure on Lee’s Confederates even after losing a battle to them, and then to occupy
Attempted by 1 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Key insight: The sentence requires parallel structure: the two coordinated actions in Grant’s strategy must be expressed in the same grammatical form.
Correct version: was to keep up pressure on Lee’s Confederates even after losing a battle to them, and then to occupy — this uses two infinitives in parallel (to keep ... and to occupy), which appropriately matches the two parts of Grant’s strategy.
'was the keeping up of pressure on Lee’s Confederates even after losing a battle to them, and then he occupied' — Incorrect: uses a gerund/noun phrase followed by a finite verb, so the coordinated elements are not parallel and the phrasing is awkward.
'was keeping up pressure on Lee’s Confederates even after losing a battle to them, and then to occupy' — Incorrect: mixes a participial/gerund form with an infinitive, failing to present the two actions in the same grammatical form.
'having kept up pressure on Lee’s Confederates even after losing a battle to them, he then occupied' — Incorrect: uses a perfect participle clause plus a finite verb, which does not place both coordinated actions in the same form and changes the sentence's structure and emphasis.
'was to keep up pressure on Lee’s Confederates even after losing a battle to them, and then to occupy' — Correct: both actions are infinitives, maintaining parallelism and producing a clear, grammatical sentence.
Therefore, the version that uses two infinitives is the best choice because it preserves parallel structure and reads naturally.