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Question

Difficulty: MediumSemicolons

In the passage below, a portion of the sentence is underlined. Which of the following options correctly punctuates the underlined portion?

Marine biologists have long studied the defensive mechanisms of the mimic octopus, they have found that this remarkable creature can dynamically alter its shape, color, and texture to imitate predatory fish.

  1. A
    octopus, they have found that this
  2. octopus; they have found that thisAnswer
  3. C
    octopus; because they have found that this
  4. D
    octopus, and finding that this

Answer

octopus; they have found that this
The option using a semicolon is correct because it properly separates two closely related independent clauses without the addition of unnecessary conjunctions or creating fragments.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the grammatical structure of the clauses on either side of the underlined punctuation.
The clause preceding the punctuation ('Marine biologists have long studied the defensive mechanisms of the mimic octopus') is an independent clause because it contains a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a sentence. The clause following the punctuation ('they have found that this remarkable creature can dynamically alter its shape, color, and texture to imitate predatory fish') is also an independent clause.
Determining clause independence is the crucial first step to deciding whether a comma, semicolon, or other punctuation is required.
2
Evaluate the grammar rules for connecting two independent clauses.
Two independent clauses must be joined using a semicolon or a comma paired with a coordinating conjunction (such as 'and', 'but', or 'so'). They cannot be joined by a comma alone, nor can they be separated by a semicolon if one is converted into a dependent clause.
This step allows us to eliminate grammatically incorrect options.

Key Concept

Semicolons are used to link two independent clauses that are closely related in thought.
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Topics

Semicolons

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