In the 2011 documentary The Barber of Birmingham, civil rights activist James Armstrong recounts how his barbershop in
Birmingham, Alabama, ______ as a political hub for members of the Black community during the 1950s.
serving
having served
served
to serve
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verb forms within a sentence. Relative clauses, such
as the one beginning with "how," require a ﬁnite (tensed) verb, a verb that can function as the main verb of a clause. This
choice correctly supplies the clause with the ﬁnite past tense verb "served."
Choice A is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The nonﬁnite participle "serving" doesn’t supply the
clause with a ﬁnite verb. Choice B is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The nonﬁnite participle
"having served" doesn’t supply the clause with a ﬁnite verb. Choice D is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical
sentence. The nonﬁnite to-inﬁnitive "to serve" doesn’t supply the clause with a ﬁnite verb.