Research by linguist Sarah Thomason indicates that the degree of grammatical borrowing—the extent to which one language adopts structural features...

Sentence Structure

• Research by linguist Sarah Thomason
  • indicates that
    • the degree of grammatical borrowing—
      • the extent to which one language adopts
      • structural features from another—
    • in a minority language
      • spoken by fewer than 10,000 speakers
    • [?] significantly greater
      • than the borrowing observed in languages
      • with over one million speakers.

Understanding the Meaning

Let's start from the beginning:

'Research by linguist Sarah Thomason indicates that...'

• This research is showing us something - it indicates a finding.
• What does it indicate?

The sentence continues:
"the degree of grammatical borrowing—the extent to which one language adopts structural features from another—in a minority language spoken by fewer than 10,000 speakers"

• 'Grammatical borrowing'
  • is when one language takes structural features from another language
  • (the dashes give us a quick definition of this term)

• We're talking about the degree (the amount) of this borrowing
  • specifically in minority languages -
  • languages spoken by fewer than 10,000 people

Now here's where we need to fill in the blank:

• 'the degree...______ significantly greater than the borrowing observed in languages with over one million speakers.'

Let's look at our choices:

1. having been
2. will be
3. being
4. to be

Now, what do we notice about the structure here?

• The research "indicates that [something]"
  • That "something" is a complete thought - a clause
  • Within that clause, we have:
    • Subject: "the degree of grammatical borrowing...in a minority language"
    • [blank]
    • What it equals: "significantly greater than..."

• This clause needs a main verb - a complete verb that can actually serve as the action/linking verb of this clause
  • "having been" = a participle (can't be a main verb)
  • "being" = a participle (can't be a main verb)
  • "to be" = an infinitive (can't be a main verb)
  • "will be" = a complete verb in future tense (CAN be a main verb)

So we need will be - it's the only form that can actually function as the main verb of this clause. The sentence is saying: research indicates that the degree will be significantly greater in minority languages than in major languages.

Grammar Concept Applied

Using Finite Verbs as Main Verbs in Clauses

When you have a clause (a group of words with a subject and verb that expresses a complete thought), it needs a finite verb - a verb form that shows tense and can function as the main verb (called a finite verb in grammar terms).

Finite verbs can serve as main verbs:

• is, are, was, were
• will be, would be
• has been, had been
• indicates, indicated
• Examples: "The study shows results." / "The data will be significant."

Non-finite verbs CANNOT serve as main verbs:

• Participles: being, having been, shown, indicating
• Infinitives: to be, to show, to indicate
• Examples: "The study being complete" (incomplete - needs finite verb)
  "The study is complete" (has finite verb)

In this question:

• After "indicates that," we need a complete clause
• The clause structure is: [subject] + [verb] + [complement]
  • "the degree" + [blank] + "significantly greater"
• Only "will be" is a finite verb that can serve as the main verb
• All other choices are non-finite forms that cannot function as main verbs

Verification Output

Content Genre: Humanities & Social Sciences

Grammar Concept Tested: Verb Tense/Form/Voice

Sentence Complexity: Complex

Pattern: B