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Difficulty: EasyRun-on Sentences and Comma Splices

Read the passage below and select the option that best corrects the underlined portion.

Urban planners design modern cities to be both functional and sustainable. They analyze traffic patterns and public transit <u>routes, they work closely</u> with civil engineers to improve general accessibility. Ultimately, their goal is to create communities that balance environmental responsibility with economic growth.

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

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. routes; they work closelyAnswer
  3. C
    routes; because they work closely
  4. D
    routes. Because they work closely

Answer

routes; they work closely
The correct answer is the option that replaces the comma with a semicolon. The sentence contains two independent clauses: 'They analyze traffic patterns and public transit routes' and 'they work closely with civil engineers to improve general accessibility.' A semicolon is the correct punctuation to join these two independent clauses because it resolves the comma splice without introducing any subordinating words that would turn either clause into a fragment.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the boundary between the two main ideas in the sentence.
The two clauses are 'They analyze traffic patterns and public transit routes' and 'they work closely with civil engineers to improve general accessibility.'
Determining where one complete thought ends and the next begins helps identify if a run-on or comma splice is present.
2
Determine the grammatical status of both clauses.
Both clauses contain a subject and a verb and can stand alone as complete sentences (independent clauses).
Independent clauses cannot be joined with just a comma; they require a coordinating conjunction, a semicolon, or separation into two sentences.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that correctly connects the two independent clauses without creating new grammatical errors.
The option containing a semicolon correctly connects two independent clauses. The options containing subordinating conjunctions create fragment errors.
A semicolon is a standard and grammatically correct way to join two independent clauses when no coordinating conjunction is used.

Key Concept

Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices

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