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Difficulty: HardRun-on Sentences and Comma Splices

In the late nineteenth century, physicist Wallace Sabine revolutionized the field of architectural acoustics by introducing a mathematical formula to calculate reverberation time. Prior to his work, concert halls were constructed with little understanding of sound physics, resulting in unpredictable auditory qualities. Sabine’s research led to the design of Boston’s Symphony Hall, a venue widely considered an acoustic masterpiece, today, architects still consult his formulas to ensure optimal sound distribution.

Which of the following choices best replaces the underlined portion to make the sentence grammatically correct?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. masterpiece; today, architectsAnswer
  3. C
    masterpiece; today, because architects
  4. D
    masterpiece today. Since architects

Answer

The correct choice is the one that separates the two independent clauses with a semicolon and maintains the introductory word 'today'.
The correct choice correctly uses a semicolon to separate two closely related independent clauses. The first clause describes Sabine's research leading to the design of Symphony Hall, and the second clause describes how architects continue to use his formulas. Since these are both complete thoughts, a semicolon is an appropriate punctuation mark to link them without a coordinating conjunction.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the two main clauses separated by the underlined portion.
The first clause is 'Sabine’s research led to the design of Boston’s Symphony Hall, a venue widely considered an acoustic masterpiece,' and the second clause is 'today, architects still consult his formulas to ensure optimal sound distribution.'
To determine the correct punctuation, we must identify whether the clauses being joined are independent, dependent, or a combination of both.
2
Analyze the grammatical structure of both clauses.
Both clauses contain a subject and a verb and express a complete thought, making them independent clauses.
Independent clauses must be separated by a period, a semicolon, or a comma followed by a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS).
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that correctly connects these two independent clauses without creating new grammatical errors.
Using a semicolon after 'masterpiece' correctly separates the two independent clauses. The comma after the introductory adverb 'today' is also appropriate.
Only the semicolon option correctly adheres to the rules of sentence structure for joining two independent clauses without introducing dependent-clause fragments.

Key Concept

Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices

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