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Difficulty: MediumRun-on Sentences and Comma Splices

Art conservators examining a fifteenth-century Renaissance fresco noticed unexpected degradation in the blue drapery of a central figure. Raman spectroscopy revealed that the artist had substituted cheap azurite for precious ultramarine in lower paint [layers, this choice created an unstable bond with the damp plaster]. Consequently, restorers must adapt their cleaning solvent to prevent further loss of the delicate pigment.

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

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    layers; because this choice created an unstable bond with the damp plaster.
  3. layers, which created an unstable bond with the damp plaster.Answer
  4. D
    layers, and since this choice created an unstable bond with the damp plaster.

Answer

The correct choice is 'layers, which created an unstable bond with the damp plaster.'
Replacing the independent clause with 'which created an unstable bond with the damp plaster' turns the second thought into a dependent relative clause. This correctly modifies the preceding statement about substituting paint layers while eliminating the comma splice.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the clause structure of the underlined portion.
The text contains two independent clauses: 'the artist had substituted cheap azurite for precious ultramarine in lower paint layers' and 'this choice created an unstable bond with the damp plaster'. They are separated by only a comma.
A comma alone cannot join two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction, making the original sentence a comma splice.
2
Evaluate the grammatical correctness of each option.
Replacing 'this choice created' with the relative pronoun 'which created' turns the second independent clause into a nonrestrictive relative clause.
A nonrestrictive relative clause starting with 'which' properly attaches to the preceding clause after a comma, resolving the comma splice smoothly.

Key Concept

Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices
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Topics

Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices

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