A creative and intellectual presence of the first order, Jack Kerouac was acclaimed as a literary innovator soon after the release of his experimental novel On the Road.

A. Jack Kerouac was acclaimed as
B. Jack Kerouac was acclaimed to being as
C. Jack Kerouac is acclaimed as
D. Jack Kerouac’s acclaim was in being
E. Jack Kerouac’s acclaim is as


(A) This question tests idiom usage and verb tense. Because the acclaim arose “soon after” the novel’s release, that is, in the past, choice (C), stating that Kerouac is acclaimed, is incorrect. Choices (D) and (E) modify the original meaning of the sentence by making Kerouac’s acclaim the subject of the sentence, not Kerouac himself. Choice (B), stating that Kerouac was “acclaimed to be” a great literary innovator, incorrectly phrases the idiomatic expression acclaimed as. Choice (A) uses the proper idiomatic expression and tense, and is therefore the best answer.
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Why C is incorrect?

Choice (C) is incorrect because it uses the wrong verb tense. The time period being discussed is "soon after the release" of his novel, which occurred in the past. Therefore, saying he "is acclaimed" (as choice C does), is incorrect. It needs to say he "was acclaimed" during that time period (as choice A does).