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Difficulty: MediumEliminating Redundancy

To protect their nests from hungry predators, leafcutter ants build complex underground chambers. These industrious insects, which are known to be extremely hard-working, carry fragments of foliage deep into their colonies to cultivate a specialized fungus.

Which of the following choices is the most concise and grammatically correct way to write the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. These industrious insectsAnswer
  3. C
    Since these industrious insects are known to be hard-working,
  4. D
    These industrious insects are hard-working, they

Answer

The correct choice is the most concise version that removes the redundant clause and maintains grammatical correctness.
The correct choice is the most concise option. Because the adjective 'industrious' already means hard-working, the phrase 'which are known to be extremely hard-working' is redundant. Removing this phrase leaves a clean, grammatically correct subject that flows directly into the verb.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the underlined portion for redundancy.
The word 'industrious' and the phrase 'known to be extremely hard-working' are synonyms that express the same idea.
ACT English questions require eliminating unnecessary words or repetitive ideas to achieve the most concise phrasing.
2
Evaluate the grammar of the remaining choices.
The most concise option without redundancy must also function grammatically. The option beginning with 'Since' creates a fragment, and the option ending with 'they' creates a comma splice.
Eliminating redundancy must not introduce new grammatical errors.

Key Concept

Eliminating Redundancy
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Eliminating Redundancy

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