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Difficulty: HardComparatives and Superlatives

In the context of evolutionary biology, researchers have noted that the plumage of a male peacock is far more vibrant than a female peahen, serving as a primary signal of genetic fitness during courtship rituals.

Which of the following alternatives to the underlined portion would be best?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    far more vibrant then that of a female peahen
  3. far more vibrant than that of a female peahenAnswer
  4. D
    far more vibrant, than that of a female peahen

Answer

far more vibrant than that of a female peahen
The correct option correctly uses 'than' for the comparison and includes 'that of' to ensure the peacock's plumage is compared to the peahen's plumage, rather than the peahen itself. It also avoids any unnecessary punctuation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the elements being compared in the sentence.
The sentence attempts to compare the 'plumage of a male peacock' with a 'female peahen'.
This is an illogical comparison because a specific feature (plumage) cannot be logically compared to a whole animal (peahen).
2
Correct the comparison using a demonstrative pronoun to refer back to the singular noun 'plumage'.
Add 'that of' before 'a female peahen' to represent 'the plumage of a female peahen'.
This ensures the comparison is grammatically parallel and logical.
3
Select the correct comparative conjunction.
Ensure 'than' is used for the comparison instead of the temporal homophone 'then'.
'Than' is the correct conjunction for comparisons, whereas 'then' indicates time or consequence.
4
Ensure punctuation is correct around the comparison.
No comma should separate the comparative adjective 'vibrant' and the conjunction 'than'.
Adding a comma would unnecessarily interrupt the flow of the restrictive comparative clause.

Key Concept

Logical comparison parallel structure and proper homophone usage in comparatives.
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Topics

Comparatives and Superlatives

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