According to Roxana Silbert, former artistic director of Hampstead Theatre, the past five decades have seen UK theater companies—once operated as artist cooperatives like the Royal Exchange (with its five founding artistic directors)—evolving toward increasingly corporate structures, with executives rather than creatives ____ decision-making power over programming.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Explanation
Context: The blank sits inside a "with + noun + participle" absolute phrase: "with executives rather than creatives ____ decision-making power." The sentence already has its main verb ("have seen").
Answer: C) being given
Why? A with-absolute takes a participle, not a finite verb. "with executives being given power" attaches correctly to the main clause.
Traps:
- A) have been given → a finite verb creates a second main clause with no conjunction.
- B) been given → a past participle with no auxiliary; ungrammatical on its own.
- D) are being given → also finite, producing a run-on.