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Question

Difficulty: HardSentence-Level Transitions

Passage:

Libraries housing rare medieval manuscripts face a constant battle against insect pests and mold, which can destroy parchment in a matter of weeks. Traditional chemical fumigation techniques effectively kill these <u>pests, consequently, they</u> often leave behind toxic residues that degrade the delicate organic fibers of the manuscripts over time. To avoid this degradation, modern conservators utilize hermetically sealed chambers filled with pure nitrogen gas.

Which of the following choices best fits the underlined portion of the passage?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. pests; however, theyAnswer
  3. C
    pests, however, they
  4. D
    pests. Furthermore, they

Answer

The option that changes the text to 'pests; however, they' is the correct answer.
The transition connects two independent clauses that express opposing ideas: the effectiveness of chemical fumigation in killing pests versus the drawback of toxic residues. The correct option uses the contrast transition 'however' and separates the two independent clauses with a semicolon to avoid a comma splice.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the logical relationship between the first clause (pests are killed effectively) and the second clause (toxic residues are left behind).
The two statements represent a contrast, as the second clause describes an undesirable side effect of the action in the first clause.
Identifying the logical flow ensures the correct transition category is chosen.
2
Examine the grammatical structure of both clauses.
Both clauses are independent because each contains a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a complete sentence.
This helps determine whether punctuation such as a semicolon or period is required to avoid a comma splice.
3
Evaluate the choices to find one that uses both a contrast transition and correct punctuation.
The option utilizing a semicolon and the word 'however' correctly resolves the comma splice and establishes the contrast relationship.
This step ensures the chosen answer is both grammatically correct and logically coherent.

Key Concept

Selecting transition words that accurately represent logical relationships between independent clauses while using correct punctuation to avoid run-on sentences or comma splices.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Sentence-Level Transitions

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