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Difficulty: MediumSentence Fragments

Consider the following sentence from an essay about art history:

Although the expressionist painters of the early twentieth century rejected the rigid rules of academic art, they still utilized classical techniques. Because they believed that form and structure were essential to conveying emotional depth.

Which choice is the best replacement for the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    they still utilized classical techniques, they believed
  3. C
    they still utilized classical techniques; believing
  4. they still utilized classical techniques because they believedAnswer

Answer

they still utilized classical techniques because they believed
The correct answer combines the independent clause and the dependent clause into a single, grammatically sound sentence using the subordinating conjunction 'because'. This removes the sentence fragment without creating any run-on sentences or comma splices.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the structure of the original sentence, specifically focusing on the underlined portion and the clauses surrounding it.
The sentence contains a main clause starting with the subordinate conjunction 'Although' ('Although the expressionist painters... rejected the rigid rules of academic art') which is completed by the independent clause 'they still utilized classical techniques'. This is followed by a period and a new sentence starting with 'Because' ('Because they believed...'), which is a dependent clause and therefore a fragment.
Analyzing the clause types helps determine if a sentence fragment exists.
2
Evaluate the options to find a choice that eliminates the fragment without introducing other grammatical errors like comma splices or run-on sentences.
Combining the main independent clause with the dependent clause using the subordinating conjunction 'because' (without a preceding period or semicolon) successfully integrates the clauses into a single grammatically correct sentence.
A dependent clause must be connected to an independent clause to avoid a sentence fragment.

Key Concept

Sentence Fragments
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Sentence Fragments

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