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Question

Difficulty: EasySentence Fragments

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents support bizarre ecosystems that thrive in complete darkness. These vents, which spew superheated, mineral-rich water from the ocean floor. They fuel food webs based on chemosynthesis rather than photosynthesis.

Which of the following is the best revision of the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. These vents spew superheated, mineral-rich water from the ocean floor.Answer
  3. C
    Because these vents spew superheated, mineral-rich water from the ocean floor.
  4. D
    These vents, spewing superheated, mineral-rich water from the ocean floor;

Answer

These vents spew superheated, mineral-rich water from the ocean floor.
The correct option removes the relative pronoun 'which' from the original sentence fragment, transforming it into a complete independent clause with the subject 'These vents' and the verb 'spew'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the underlined portion to identify if it is a complete sentence or a fragment.
The original text 'These vents, which spew superheated, mineral-rich water from the ocean floor.' is a fragment because the subject 'These vents' is followed by a relative clause starting with 'which' and lacks a main verb to complete the thought.
Identifying the grammatical structure helps determine what correction is needed to make a complete sentence.
2
Evaluate the choices to find one that creates a complete independent sentence with a subject and a verb.
Removing the relative pronoun 'which' leaves 'These vents spew...', which has a subject ('These vents') and a finite verb ('spew'), making it a grammatically correct independent sentence.
A complete sentence requires both a subject and a main verb to express a complete thought.

Key Concept

Sentence Fragments
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Sentence Fragments

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