Complete the passage by filling in the blanks with the most appropriate words.
In the ever-evolving world of technology, social media apps have come and gone. Some apps, once the dominant platforms for communication and social interaction, are now rarely used. One such app was 'Myspace,' which was immensely popular in the early 2000s. It allowed users to create personalized profiles, share music, and connect with friends. However, ______ A ______ social media landscape has changed, and Myspace could no longer compete with newer apps like 'Facebook' and 'Instagram.' Similarly, 'Friendster,' an early social networking site, ______ B ______ the way for platforms we now take for granted. But despite its initial success, Friendster's user base declined sharply due to technical issues and competition from emerging platforms. As more social apps entered the scene, people eventually began to gravitate towards those that offered a more streamlined, engaging experience, leaving older apps ______ C ______. Although some people still ______ D ______ (reminisce) about these earlier platforms, the digital age has moved on and now plays a much larger role in shaping our online lives. It is a reminder of how quickly technology ______ E ______ (evolves) and how the next new app can quickly replace the old.
Choose the word that best fits blank (C).
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Correct Answer
forgotten
Explanation
The blank requires a past participle to complete a reduced passive construction or descriptor following the causative verb phrase 'leaving older apps'. The sentence explains that people moved to newer, better platforms, which resulted in the older apps being abandoned or neglected by the public. The past participle 'forgotten' perfectly fits this context, functioning as an adjective to describe the helpless state of those abandoned platforms.
The remaining options fail to match this grammatical structure. 'Forgetting' is a present participle that would incorrectly imply the older apps themselves were doing the forgetting. 'To forget' is an infinitive that does not fit structurally after the object 'older apps' in this layout. 'Forgot' is a simple past tense verb, which cannot be used as a descriptive object complement here.
Key Points
When a sentence uses the pattern 'leaving + object + complement,' the choice between a present participle (-ing) and a past participle (-ed/-en) depends entirely on whether the object is performing the action or receiving it. Because the older apps are the things being neglected by people, you must use the passive past participle 'forgotten.'