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Difficulty: Very hardIllogical and Incomplete Comparisons

Which of the following options best corrects the underlined portion in the sentence below?

While studying the physical adaptations of desert fauna, biologists noted that the heat-dispersing ears of the jackrabbit are much larger than the desert cottontail, this difference helps regulate body temperature in extreme climates.

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    those of the desert cottontail; a difference that helps
  3. C
    the desert cottontail, which helps
  4. those of the desert cottontail, a difference that helpsAnswer

Answer

those of the desert cottontail, a difference that helps
The correct option establishes a logical comparison by using the plural pronoun phrase 'those of' to refer back to the 'ears' of the jackrabbit, comparing them parallelly to the ears of the desert cottontail. It also avoids punctuation errors by using a comma to introduce the appositive phrase 'a difference that helps...', which correctly modifies the preceding comparison.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the items being compared in the sentence.
The sentence compares 'the heat-dispersing ears of the jackrabbit' to 'the desert cottontail.'
An illogical comparison occurs when a specific trait or part of one subject is compared directly to another subject as a whole.
2
Select the correct plural possessive pronoun phrase to restore logical parallel comparison.
Since 'ears' is plural, the phrase 'those of' must be used to refer to the ears of the desert cottontail.
Using 'those of' ensures that ears are being compared to ears, satisfying the requirement for logical and parallel comparison.
3
Evaluate the grammatical structure and punctuation of the subsequent clause.
The final part of the sentence must avoid comma splices and fragment errors. The correct phrasing uses a comma to introduce 'a difference that helps...', which functions as a proper appositive phrase rather than an independent clause.
A semicolon requires independent clauses on both sides, which makes the semicolon choice incorrect because the following text is a fragment. The appositive structure is grammatically correct and punctuated properly.

Key Concept

Illogical and Incomplete Comparisons
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Topics

Illogical and Incomplete Comparisons

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