Question

after the 1819 expedition to the yucatán peninsula, survey maps ___ by josé calderón, a spanish - trained cartographer and military engineer commissioned by the crown to document roads, settlements, and hydraulic systems in new spain, circulated among european academies, reshaping assumptions about urban density in the classic maya period. subsequent annotations in the seville archive cite site measurements rather than traveler accounts.
21
which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of standard english?
(answer: d)
a was compiled
b were compiled
c have been complied
d compiled

Explanation:

To determine the correct option, we analyze the sentence structure. The main clause is "survey maps... circulated...", so the part with "by José Calderón" should be a non - finite verb phrase (a participial phrase) to modify "survey maps". Option A ("was compiled") is a passive verb in the simple past, but "maps" is plural, so "was" is wrong. Option B ("were compiled") is a passive verb phrase, but using it would make the sentence have two main verbs (were compiled and circulated), which is ungrammatical. Option C ("have been complied") is incorrect in meaning (comply means to obey, not to create) and also has a tense and subject - verb agreement issue. Option D ("compiled") is a past participle, acting as a non - finite verb to modify "maps", showing the passive relationship between "maps" and "compile" and fitting the sentence structure.

Answer:

D. compiled