Question

The leading campaign finance reformer has indicated that the political machine is in danger of becoming a mere extension of big corporate agendas.

• A. is in danger of becoming
• B. is in danger to become
• C. is becoming in danger
• D. has become through danger
• E. has been in danger of becoming

Hint:

In sentence correction questions, always check for idiomatic expressions (fixed phrases). The combination of "in danger" + "of" + "[verb]-ing" is a common English idiom. Trust your ear if something sounds wrong, but also know the grammatical rules behind it.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question tests the correct use of idiomatic expressions, specifically the preposition that follows the phrase "in danger." An idiom is a phrase whose meaning cannot be deduced from the literal definitions of the words that make it up.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The goal is to identify the grammatically correct and most natural-sounding option to complete the sentence.
\[\begin{array}{rl} \bullet & \text{(A) is in danger of becoming: The phrase "in danger of" followed by a gerund (-ing form of a verb) is the correct and standard English idiom. This option is grammatically flawless and fits the context perfectly. } \\ \bullet & \text{(B) is in danger to become: The use of the infinitive "to become" after "in danger" is not idiomatic in English. We use "of + gerund" instead. } \\ \bullet & \text{(C) is becoming in danger: This phrasing changes the meaning. It suggests that the political machine is currently in the process of becoming endangered, rather than being in a state of danger of changing into something else. The word order is awkward. } \\ \bullet & \text{(D) has become through danger: This phrase is grammatically incorrect and does not make sense in the context of the sentence. } \\ \bullet & \text{(E) has been in danger of becoming: This option uses the present perfect tense. While grammatically correct, it suggests that the danger started in the past and continues to the present. The simple present tense ("is in danger") used in option (A) is more direct and fitting for a current indication made by the reformer. Therefore, (A) is the best choice. } \\ \end{array}\]

Step 3: Final Answer:
The original sentence uses the correct idiomatic expression "in danger of becoming." None of the other options are as clear, concise, or grammatically correct. Therefore, no change is needed.