In order to prevent nonnative ﬁsh species from moving freely between the Mediterranean and Red Seas, marine biologist
Bella Galil has proposed that a saline lock system be installed along the Suez Canal in Egypt’s Great Bitter Lakes. The lock
would increase the salinity of the lakes and ______ a natural barrier of water most marine creatures would be unable to cross.
creates
create
creating
created
Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of non-ﬁnite (untensed) verb forms in a sentence. The
modal “would,” which indicates the future from a perspective in the past, should be accompanied by a non-ﬁnite plain form
verb. In this choice, the non-ﬁnite plain form verb “create” is used correctly in conjunction with the non-ﬁnite plain form verb
“increase” to describe what the lock would do.  
Choice A is incorrect because the ﬁnite present tense verb “creates” can’t be used in this way with the modal “would” to
describe what the lock would do. Choice C is incorrect because the present participle “creating” can’t be used in this way
with the modal “would” to describe what the lock would do. Choice D is incorrect because the ﬁnite past tense verb “created”
can’t be used in this way with the modal “would” to describe what the lock would do.