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Question

Difficulty: MediumEnd-of-Sentence Punctuation

Read the following passage:

For decades, researchers struggled to map the deep ocean floor, as sonar technology was still in its infancy. The breakthrough arrived in the mid-twentieth century. Cartographer Marie Tharp began analyzing raw sonar profiles, she painstakingly drew the first comprehensive maps of the Atlantic rift valley. Her work eventually revolutionized the scientific understanding of continental drift.

Which of the following choices is the most grammatically correct revision of the underlined portion?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. profiles; sheAnswer
  3. C
    profiles. Although she
  4. D
    profiles; because she

Answer

The correct option is 'profiles; she'. This choice correctly uses a semicolon to separate two closely related independent clauses.
The semicolon is used to link two independent clauses that are closely related in thought. Since 'Cartographer Marie Tharp began analyzing raw sonar profiles' and 'she painstakingly drew the first comprehensive maps of the Atlantic rift valley' are both independent clauses, separating them with a semicolon is grammatically correct and appropriate.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the clause boundary in the underlined portion.
The boundary is between 'profiles' and 'she'.
This is where two grammatical structures meet, and we must determine how they are related.
2
Analyze the grammar of the clauses on either side of the boundary.
'Cartographer Marie Tharp began analyzing raw sonar profiles' is an independent clause. 'she painstakingly drew the first comprehensive maps of the Atlantic rift valley' is also an independent clause.
Understanding the clause types helps identify which punctuation marks can legally join or separate them.
3
Evaluate the punctuation options to connect these two independent clauses.
A semicolon correctly separates two closely related independent clauses. A comma alone creates a comma splice. A period followed by 'Although' creates a dependent clause fragment. A semicolon followed by 'because' also results in a fragment.
This confirms that only the semicolon option creates a grammatically correct sentence structure.

Key Concept

End-of-Sentence Punctuation
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Topics

End-of-Sentence Punctuation

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