While exploring Nevada’s Gypsum Cave in 1930, Seneca and Abenaki archaeologist Bertha Parker made her most famous
discovery: the skull of a now-extinct ground sloth (Nothrotheriops shastensis) alongside human-made tools. Parker’s crucial
ﬁnding was the ﬁrst ______ humans in North America as far back as 10,000 years ago.
places
placed
place
to place
Choice D is the best answer. The object for the verb "was" is "ﬁrst," and "to place" is acting as a modiﬁer for "ﬁrst." What was
the ﬁnding? It was "the ﬁrst." The ﬁrst to do what? The ﬁrst "to place humans in North America" 10,000 years ago. When a
verb serves as a modiﬁer within a noun phrase, it must be nonﬁnite (i.e., not conjugated to a speciﬁc subject). The inﬁnitive
form "to place" is the only nonﬁnite option among the choices that makes sense in context.
Choice A is incorrect. The object for the verb "was" is "ﬁrst," and "places" is acting as a modiﬁer for "ﬁrst." What was the thing
that Parker’s ﬁnding did? What was it the ﬁrst to do? Place humans in North America 10,000 years ago. When a verb acts as
a modiﬁer, it must be nonﬁnite (i.e., not conjugated to a speciﬁc subject), but "places" is a ﬁnite form of the verb. Choice B is
incorrect. The object for the verb "was" is "ﬁrst," and "placed" is acting to modify "ﬁrst." What was it that Parker’s ﬁnding was
the ﬁrst to do? Place humans in North America 10,000 years ago. When a verb acts as a modiﬁer, it must be nonﬁnite (i.e.,
not conjugated to a speciﬁc subject), but "placed" is a ﬁnite form. "Placed" can also be a past participle, but that wouldn’t
make sense here because the meaning of "the ﬁrst placed humans" would be unclear. Choice C is incorrect. The object for
the verb "was" is "ﬁrst," and "place" is modifying "ﬁrst." What was the thing that Parker’s ﬁnding did? What was it the ﬁrst to
do? Place humans in North America. When a verb acts as a modiﬁer, it must be nonﬁnite (i.e., not conjugated to a speciﬁc
subject), but "place" is a ﬁnite form of the verb. Additionally, "place" can’t serve as a noun here, because it results in an
illogical sentence (the "ﬁnding" wasn’t "the ﬁrst place").