Answers and explanations
- Would. The word here conveys a similar idea to ‘used to’, except we can only use one word. ‘Would’ indicated a repeated action in the past that no longer takes place. We know it no longer happens because of the sentence that follows: ‘Over time, it developed into something more complex…’.
- Them. The pronoun refers to the dancers. We cannot answer ‘both’, as in order for it to work, we would need to use ‘both of them’.
- Was. Again, past simple is what we need here – as suggested by the context, we focus on the history of ballet development and how in the past men had a secondary role in the dance.
- In. The authors use wordplay – the male dancer supports the ballerina in the physical sense, holding her in the air, but also is the supporting act, whereas the female dancer is the main performer.
- What. A fairly straightforward connection with no real caveats.
- Own. Something in its own right means ‘on its own’, not as a part of something else, but independently. A phrase like this is used to stress the importance, greatness, or influence of something, to make it a highlight.
- Rather. We see a contrast between what was said in the past – now both the man and the woman are equal partners, whereas in the past the woman was the main focus of the dance.
- No. No longer simply means ‘not anymore’. We can’t say ‘any longer’, as it would require a negative bit, e.g.: ‘Not predictable or formulaic any longer’.
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