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Difficulty: EasyComparatives and Superlatives

Although many of her colleagues found the research tedious, Marie Curie's dedication was more intense, more focused, and longer-lasting than any other scientist in her laboratory.

Which choice is the most effective and grammatically correct replacement for the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    more intense, more focused, and longer-lasting than
  2. B
    more intense, more focused, and longer-lasting then that of
  3. C
    more intense, more focused, and has more endurance than that of
  4. more intense, more focused, and longer-lasting than that ofAnswer

Answer

The correct answer is the option that reads 'more intense, more focused, and longer-lasting than that of'.
The correct option correctly uses the comparative form of the adjectives to describe dedication, maintains parallel structure in the list of adjectives, uses the correct comparative conjunction 'than', and includes 'that of' to make a logical comparison between Marie Curie's dedication and the dedication of other scientists.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the elements being compared in the sentence.
The sentence attempts to compare 'Marie Curie's dedication' to other scientists in the laboratory.
Comparisons must be logically sound, comparing similar things (dedication to dedication, not dedication to people).
2
Select the pronoun phrase that corrects the illogical comparison.
Adding 'that of' refers back to 'dedication', making the comparison logical.
This ensures the sentence compares dedication to the dedication of other scientists.
3
Check the parallel structure of the items in the comparison list.
All three items in the list must be comparative adjectives: 'more intense', 'more focused', and 'longer-lasting'.
Parallel structure is grammatically required for items joined in a series.
4
Verify that the correct comparative conjunction is used.
The conjunction 'than' must be used for comparisons.
The word 'then' is an adverb of time, not a conjunction for comparison.

Key Concept

Logical comparisons, parallel structure in lists, and then/than distinction
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Topics

Comparatives and Superlatives

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