The word "culminate" is a verb, meaning to reach the highest point or final stage of something, often following a progression or buildup. It is usually followed by "in" or "with", e.g., "culminate in a grand finale."
A: Correct usage - "Culminate in" is properly used to describe the end result of long-term research and collaboration, making it a grammatically and contextually accurate sentence.
B: Incorrect usage - The sentence uses "culminates" transitively (as in "culminates several themes"), which is incorrect. One cannot culminate something; rather, something culminates in or with something else. Replacing it with a verb like "showcases", "presents", or "highlights" preserves the structure while fixing the grammatical error.
C: Incorrect usage - Similar to B, "culminated the evening" is incorrect because "culminated" isn't typically used transitively like this. The sentence should read something like, "The debate culminated in a handshake..." for correctness. A better verb, such as "concluded", fits the sentence structure and meaning.
Thus, the correct answer is option (a).
Study Notes
Category
