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We have a Wordy Awkward “ing” in this sentence. Past progressive is not the correct tense and we do not need
the “and” after the comma, as the first half of the sentence should be followed by a dependent clause.
(B) “becoming” ushers in a dependent clause that connects to the first half of the sentence
beautifully and fixes the wordiness issue.
(C) the “where” refers to “every day” and “every day” is not a place, so the pronoun “where” is
incorrect.
(D) “when” refers to “every day” and although it correctly refers to a period of time, Hawkings
did not work on his theorems every day WHEN he became a celebrity, he worked on them
EVEN BEFORE he became a celebrity, so the intended meaning of the sentence is changed.
(E) you wouldn’t want to stick an infinitive after a comma, and the comma is not underlined, which
means the comma is there to stay. “To become” also changes the meaning of the sentence,
indicating that he worked every day in order to become a noted celebrity, as opposed to his
notoriety being a bi-product of his work.
Revised sentence:
In spite of his handicap, the theoretical physicist
professor Stephen Hawking worked on his theorems
of relativity and numerous publications
almost every day, becoming a noted academic
celebrity and well respected scientist.
Correct Answer: (B)
In spite of his handicap, the theoretical physicist
Professor Stephen Hawking worked on his theorems
of relativity and numerous publications almost
every day, and he was becoming a noted academic
celebrity and well-respected scientist.(A) and he was becoming
(B) becoming
(C) where he became
(D) when he became
(E) to become