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Difficulty: HardSubordination and Coordination

In 1967, astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell noticed a strange, repeating signal in her telescope data. Although many of her colleagues initially dismissed the anomaly as man-made interference, but Burnell insisted on analyzing the pulsing radio waves more closely. Her persistence led to the discovery of pulsars, rapidly rotating neutron stars that emit beams of electromagnetic radiation.

Which choice best coordinates or subordinates the clauses in the underlined portion to maintain a grammatically correct sentence structure?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. Although many of her colleagues initially dismissed the anomaly as man-made interference, Burnell insistedAnswer
  3. C
    Many of her colleagues initially dismissed the anomaly as man-made interference, Burnell insisted
  4. D
    Many of her colleagues initially dismissed the anomaly as man-made interference; because Burnell insisted

Answer

Although many of her colleagues initially dismissed the anomaly as man-made interference, Burnell insisted
The correct choice properly subordinates the first clause with the subordinating conjunction 'Although' and links it to the main independent clause using a comma. This avoids the grammatical redundancy of having both a subordinator and a coordinator in the same sentence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the structural relationship between the clauses in the sentence.
The first part of the sentence contains a dependent clause ('Although many of her colleagues initially dismissed the anomaly as man-made interference') and the second part contains an independent clause ('Burnell insisted on analyzing the pulsing radio waves more closely').
Understanding the clause types determines whether subordination or coordination is appropriate.
2
Identify any coordination or subordination errors in the original underlined phrasing.
The original phrasing uses both the subordinating conjunction 'Although' and the coordinating conjunction 'but' for the same relationship, which is grammatically redundant.
A dependent clause introduced by a subordinator cannot be joined to an independent clause using a coordinating conjunction.
3
Evaluate the remaining options to find the correct grammatical connection.
Removing the coordinator 'but' while keeping 'Although' correctly forms a complex sentence. Removing the subordinator 'Although' without adding a proper coordinator or semicolon leads to a comma splice. Using a semicolon before 'because' results in a dependent clause fragment.
To ensure the selected option is free of grammatical errors like comma splices or fragments.

Key Concept

Subordination and Coordination
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Subordination and Coordination

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