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Question

Difficulty: MediumRun-on Sentences and Comma Splices

In the passage below, a portion of the text is underlined.

Although humpback whales are known for their complex songs, their migration patterns are equally fascinating to marine biologists. These researchers use satellite tags to track the whales across vast ocean basins. During the winter, humpback whales gather in warm tropical waters to breed, however, they do not feed again until they return to polar regions in the spring. This annual journey is one of the longest migrations of any mammal on Earth.

Which of the following options is the best replacement for the underlined portion?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. breed; however, they do not feedAnswer
  3. C
    breed; because they do not feed
  4. D
    breed. Because they do not feed

Answer

breed; however, they do not feed
The correct option correctly uses a semicolon to separate the two independent clauses ('During the winter, humpback whales gather in warm tropical waters to breed' and 'they do not feed again until they return to polar regions in the spring'). It also correctly uses a comma after the conjunctive adverb 'however' to transition between the clauses.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the two clauses in the sentence to identify their relationship and type.
The first clause ('During the winter, humpback whales gather in warm tropical waters to breed') is independent. The second clause ('they do not feed again until they return to polar regions in the spring') is also independent, joined by the transitional adverb 'however'.
Identifying the clause types is necessary to determine the correct punctuation and conjunctions needed to join them.
2
Evaluate the options to correct the comma splice while maintaining the logical transition.
Joining two independent clauses with only a comma before a conjunctive adverb like 'however' creates a comma splice. A semicolon must precede 'however', and a comma must follow it.
This structure resolves the run-on error and correctly punctuated the transition between the two independent thoughts.

Key Concept

Joining independent clauses using conjunctive adverbs requires a semicolon before the adverb and a comma after it.
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Topics

Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices

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