In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the bracketed part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select "no improvement".Needless to say, cooking (has become) easier now.

Question

Prepp Team · Accepted Answer

Analyzing the Sentence Structure and Verb Tense

The sentence we need to analyze is: "Needless to say, cooking (has become) easier now." We are asked to determine if the bracketed part, "has become," needs improvement or if it is correct as it is.

Let's break down the sentence:

The subject of the sentence is "cooking." In this context, "cooking" is a gerund, which is a verb ending in -ing used as a noun. When a gerund acts as the subject of a sentence, it is treated as a singular noun.
The verb phrase is "(has become)". This is in the present perfect tense. The present perfect tense is formed using the auxiliary verb "has" or "have" followed by the past participle of the main verb ("become" in this case, as its past participle is also "become").

The present perfect tense is used to describe an action that started in the past and continues into the present or has a result in the present. The phrase "easier now" indicates a change over time that is relevant in the present, making the present perfect tense appropriate here.

Evaluating Verb Agreement with the Subject

Since the subject "cooking" is singular, the auxiliary verb must agree with a singular subject. In the present perfect tense, the auxiliary verbs are "has" (for singular subjects like "he," "she," "it," or a singular noun/gerund) and "have" (for plural subjects like "they," "we," or "you" and "I").

Let's look at the original phrase "has become" in relation to the subject "cooking":

Subject: "cooking" (singular gerund)
Auxiliary verb: "has" (correct for a singular subject)
Main verb (past participle): "become" (correct past participle of 'become')

The combination "has become" correctly uses the singular auxiliary verb "has" with the singular subject "cooking" and the correct past participle "become" to form the present perfect tense.

Examining the Improvement Options

Let's consider the given alternatives:

is become: This is grammatically incorrect. The structure "is + past participle" is used for the passive voice (e.g., "The cake was eaten"). "Become" is generally not used passively, and "is become" is not a valid construction for any standard English tense.
has becoming: This is grammatically incorrect. The present perfect tense uses "has" or "have" followed by the *past participle* (become), not the present participle (-ing form, becoming). The structure "has becoming" is not a valid English verb tense.
have become: This is grammatically incorrect in this sentence. "Have" is used with plural subjects or "I" and "you." Since "cooking" is a singular subject, the auxiliary verb must be "has," not "have."
no improvement: This option suggests the original phrase "has become" is correct.

Based on the analysis of subject-verb agreement and correct verb tense formation, the original phrase "has become" is grammatically correct and appropriate for the sentence "Needless to say, cooking has become easier now." Therefore, no improvement is needed.

Conclusion on Sentence Improvement

The original sentence "Needless to say, cooking has become easier now" correctly uses the present perfect tense ("has become") with the singular subject "cooking". The verb form agrees with the subject, and the tense is appropriate for expressing a change that is now true. The alternatives offered are grammatically incorrect.

Verb Form Analysis for 'become'
Subject Type	Auxiliary Verb (Present Perfect)	Past Participle	Correct Phrase
Singular (e.g., cooking, he, she, it)	has	become	has become
Plural (e.g., they, we, dogs)	have	become	have become
I / You	have	become	have become

Revision Table: Key Grammar Points

Subject-Verb Agreement: Singular subjects take singular verbs (ending in -s in simple present, 'has' in present perfect); plural subjects take plural verbs ('have' in present perfect).
Gerunds as Subjects: A gerund (-ing verb form used as a noun) acting as the subject of a sentence is treated as singular.
Present Perfect Tense: Formed with 'has'/'have' + past participle. Used for actions started in the past with present relevance or duration into the present.
Past Participle of 'become': The past participle of 'become' is 'become'.

Additional Information: Understanding Gerunds and Present Perfect

What is a Gerund?

A gerund is a word that is formed from a verb but acts as a noun. It always ends in -ing. Examples include: swimming, reading, writing, cooking, running.

When a gerund is the subject of a sentence, the verb must be in the singular form.

Example: Swimming is good exercise. ('Swimming' is singular subject, 'is' is singular verb).
Example: Reading helps improve vocabulary. ('Reading' is singular subject, 'helps' is singular verb).

In our sentence, "cooking" is the gerund acting as the singular subject.

Understanding the Present Perfect Tense

The present perfect tense connects the past with the present. It can describe:

An action that happened at an unspecified time before now (e.g., I have seen that movie).
An action that started in the past and continues up to the present (e.g., She has lived here for ten years).
An action that happened in the past but has a result in the present (e.g., I have lost my keys - so I can't get into my house now).
Changes that have happened over time (e.g., The weather has become colder).

In the sentence "cooking has become easier now," the present perfect tense is used to describe a change (cooking becoming easier) that has happened over a period leading up to and affecting the present moment.