writing

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

[Just how] critical an improved balance of trade [is to] a healthy economy [has never been] [more clearer] then it is now.

It is clear that the answer is [more clearer] which needs to be changed to [clearer], but I also thought [has never been] might be the answer. Since it is comparing now and the past, I thought [has never been] should be changed to [had never been]. Am I wrong?

2

Yes, you’re wrong. “Has never been” is a continuous, starting in the past and continuing into the present.

3

So if I changed [has never been] to [had never been], will this sentence be wrong?

4

Yes, because there is no simple past time reference in the sentence. On SAT stand-alone sentence questions, you can’t have superpast without a simple past for it to precede. @monaka