Question

(1) My sister Ellen and I chatted in the living room. (2) "I read an article yesterday," she remarked, "that argued that voting should be made compulsory in the United States-like jury duty. (3) I think you should read the article. (4) The author made some cogent points."(5) Ellen is always trying to improve my mind and ethical standards. (6) I thought I would tease her a bit. (7) "Increase the number of American voters," I observed in a sneering tone, "and you only increase the number of people who make bad choices."(8) She fell for it, responding in the superior way she typically adopts for her lectures to me. (9) "You shouldn't be so cynical. (10) Our political life would be greatly improved by compulsory voting."(11) I had actually read the article myself. (12) I still wanted to annoy her. (13) "I'm sure you will tell me how."(14) "Well, there are several possible benefits," Ellen began. (15) "An increase in voter turnout might cause a growth in civic awareness."(16) "How could you be sure which came first?" I demanded. (17) "Increase in voter turnout might be caused by growth in civic awareness. (18) You'll have to give me something more convincing than that."(19) "Okay, how about this?" Ellen said. (20) "A growth in voter turnout will make our political process more truly democratic. (21) Elected officials don't feel a need to reach out to those who probably don't vote."(22) "I guess I can accept that," I said. (23) "Anything else?"(24) "Yes, and I think this might be the most important benefit," Ellen claimed. (25) "A expansion in number of voters might result in elections that are less polarized. (26) Candidates would not be so likely to pitch their messages to the extremes of the electorate."(27) "You're right, that would be an improvement," I admitted. (28) "The problem is, Americans don't like to be told what to do. (29) Even when it's something that they know they should do-like vote. (30) So the idea of mandatory voting is probably a nonstarter in our political culture."

Question
Which would be the best way to revise sentence 1 using a gerund?
Select one:
a. My sister Ellen and I were having a chat in the living room.
b. My sister Ellen and I having chatted in the living room.
c. My sister Ellen and I were chatting in the living room.
d. My sister Ellen and I did chat in the living room.

Answer 1

The best way to revise sentence 1 using a gerund is option (a): "My sister Ellen and I were having a chat in the living room."

Step-by-step explanation:

The use of the past continuous tense in option (a) accurately conveys the ongoing nature of the chat between the narrator and Ellen in the living room. The gerund "having" in this context denotes the continuous action, emphasizing that the conversation was in progress at a specific point in the past. This choice aligns with the narrative's timeline and maintains grammatical coherence within the sentence.

Option (b) lacks the past continuous tense necessary to convey the ongoing nature of the chat, making it grammatically incorrect. Option (c) correctly uses the past continuous tense but lacks the gerund form, which is essential for expressing the ongoing action. Option (d) uses the simple past tense, suggesting a completed action rather than an ongoing one, making it less suitable for describing a conversation in progress. Therefore, option (a) is the most appropriate choice for revising sentence 1 to include a gerund and convey the intended meaning.

In crafting effective prose, choosing the correct verb tense and form is crucial to accurately convey the timeline and continuity of actions. The past continuous tense with the gerund "having" in option (a) achieves this goal, providing a clear and grammatically sound expression of the ongoing chat between the narrator and Ellen in the living room.