English Grammar Fill-in-the-Blank Question
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4. The printing press is often said ---- by the German inventor Johannes Gutenberg in Mainz, Germany, around 1440 AD, and it began ---- root in Europe in the 1450s with the printing of the Bible. A) having been created / to be taken B) to be created / to take C) to create / to have taken D) being created / being taken E) to have been created / taking
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Step by Step Written Solution
Hi elif, let's solve this English grammar question together.
YKS-YDT Grammar Analysis
Let's first break the sentence into two parts so we can analyze each blank step by step.
Sentence Parts
- Part 1: The printing press is often said [ Blank 1 ] by the German inventor...
- Part 2: ...and it began [ Blank 2 ] root in Europe...
Let's focus on the first blank. We have a passive reporting verb structure here: 'is often said'.
Part 1: Analyzing Blank 1
In English grammar, passive reporting verbs like 'is said' are followed by a 'to-infinitive' structure, not a gerund.
This rule allows us to immediately eliminate option A and option D because they use gerund or participle forms for the first blank.
Eliminated Options:
- ~~A) having been created / to be taken~~
- ~~D) being created / being taken~~
Next, let's decide if the first blank should be active or passive. Since the printing press is the receiver of the action, and we have the agent 'by the German inventor', we need a passive infinitive.
Active vs. Passive Infinitive
This allows us to eliminate option C, which uses 'to create', an active infinitive form.
Eliminated Option:
- ~~C) to create / to have taken~~
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