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Question

Difficulty: MediumSubordination and Coordination

In 1964, radio astronomers Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson were troubled by a persistent background hiss in their Holmdel horn antenna. Although they meticulously cleaned the equipment and even removed nesting pigeons, but the mysterious static remained.

Which of the following options is the best replacement for the underlined portion?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. They meticulously cleaned the equipment and even removed nesting pigeons,Answer
  3. C
    Although they meticulously cleaned the equipment and even removed nesting pigeons;
  4. D
    Since they meticulously cleaned the equipment and even removed nesting pigeons,

Answer

They meticulously cleaned the equipment and even removed nesting pigeons,
The correct option removes the subordinating conjunction 'Although' from the first clause, which allows it to stand alone as an independent clause. This independent clause is then properly connected to the second independent clause by the comma and the coordinating conjunction 'but', forming a grammatically sound compound sentence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the relationship between the clauses and locate any conjunctions.
The sentence attempts to connect two clauses: one about cleaning the equipment and the other about the static remaining. The first clause begins with the subordinating conjunction 'Although', and the second clause begins with the coordinating conjunction 'but'.
This helps determine if the sentence contains coordination or subordination errors, such as using multiple contrasting conjunctions.
2
Evaluate the grammatical structure of the sentence.
Using both 'Although' (subordinating) and 'but' (coordinating) in the same sentence structure is redundant and grammatically incorrect. It leaves the entire construction without an independent main clause, creating a fragment.
To diagnose the specific grammatical error that needs correction.
3
Determine the correct way to join these clauses.
To fix the error, one of the conjunctions must be removed. Since 'but' is not underlined, we must remove 'Although' from the underlined portion. This leaves a complete independent clause joined to another independent clause by a comma and 'but', forming a proper compound sentence.
To select the choice that establishes correct sentence structure and maintains the logical contrast.

Key Concept

Subordination and Coordination
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Topics

Subordination and Coordination

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