Choose the word that best completes the sentence: "His recent success ______ him more arrogant than what he used to be." Which of the following options gives the grammatically correct and meaningful form of the verb?

Introduction / Context:
This is a basic grammar and tense question. The sentence describes a completed action in the recent past that has a present effect on the person, namely that he is now more arrogant. The correct verb form needs to agree with the singular subject and fit this usage of recent change with current impact.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Sentence: His recent success ______ him more arrogant than what he used to be.
• Option A: make.
• Option B: have make.
• Option C: was making.
• Option D: has made.
• The subject of the verb is his recent success, which is singular.

Concept / Approach:
We are usually describing a situation where some event has changed a person's nature or behaviour. English often uses the present perfect tense in such cases: has made him more confident, has made her stronger, and so on. The verb also must agree with a singular subject (success), so it must be has rather than have. The base verb make needs a past participle made for perfect tenses.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Check Option A: make. The phrase his recent success make him is grammatically incorrect for a singular subject; it should be makes, and even that would not convey the same completed effect as well as a perfect tense.Step 2: Check Option B: have make. This is grammatically incorrect; the correct perfect construction requires have made with a plural subject or has made with a singular one.Step 3: Check Option C: was making. This is past continuous tense, which suggests an ongoing process in the past, not a completed change leading to current arrogance.Step 4: Check Option D: has made. This is present perfect tense with a singular subject, and it correctly expresses that the recent success has already changed him and the effect continues now.Step 5: Therefore, has made is the correct and most natural choice.

Verification / Alternative check:
Read the complete sentence: His recent success has made him more arrogant than what he used to be. It sounds natural, grammatical, and clearly expresses a change resulting from success that still affects the present behaviour. No other option provides this clarity and correctness.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Make (option A) lacks subject verb agreement and tense clarity. Have make (option B) is not a valid verb phrase. Was making (option C) suggests an action ongoing in the past and does not match the idea of a now established personality change. Only has made correctly handles tense and agreement.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes choose simple present or past continuous forms without considering aspect. For life changes due to recent events, the present perfect tense is very common. Keeping in mind the pattern has or have plus past participle helps to answer similar questions correctly.

Final Answer:
The grammatically correct and meaningful completion is has made.