9. Which is the best version of the underlined portion of sentence 5 (reproduced below)? However, the fossil evidence suggested that sauropods will have existed, on land, for quite a long time.
Answer: C
Fossil evidence suggested that sauropods existed, on land, for quite a long time.
The best version of the underlined portion is "existed," indicating that the fossil evidence points to their existence in the past, rather than suggesting a future or ongoing existence.
A) (as it is now)
Leaving the sentence as it is with "will have existed" is incorrect because it implies a future perfect tense, which does not align with the context of discussing fossil evidence that reflects past existence.
B) exist,
Using "exist," suggests a present tense that does not accurately represent the findings related to the fossil evidence. The context requires a reference to the past, making this option incorrect.
C) existed,
This option is correct as it appropriately uses the past tense, indicating that the fossil evidence shows sauropods were present on land for an extended period in the past.
D) will exist.
Employing "will exist" indicates a future tense that is inappropriate in this context since the discussion focuses on past evidence derived from fossils, making this option incorrect.
Conclusion
The correct answer "existed" accurately reflects the past nature of the evidence being discussed, while all other options fail to convey the temporal context necessary for understanding the history of sauropods. This highlights the importance of using the correct tense to align with the facts presented in the extract.