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Difficulty: MediumIllogical and Incomplete Comparisons

The atmospheric conditions of Mars, which feature thin air and global dust storms, are far more hostile to human life than Earth.

Which of the following is the best replacement for the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. those of EarthAnswer
  3. C
    Earth; which has a much thicker atmosphere
  4. D
    Earth, it has a much thicker atmosphere

Answer

The correct option is 'those of Earth', which logically compares the atmospheric conditions of Mars to the atmospheric conditions of Earth using the plural pronoun 'those'.
The correct option replaces the underlined portion with 'those of Earth.' This creates a logical and grammatically parallel comparison because the plural pronoun 'those' correctly refers back to 'atmospheric conditions,' thereby comparing the atmospheric conditions of Mars to the atmospheric conditions of Earth.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the elements being compared in the sentence.
The sentence begins by discussing 'The atmospheric conditions of Mars' (plural noun phrase) and compares them to 'Earth' (singular planet).
This helps determine if the comparison is logical and grammatically parallel.
2
Evaluate the grammatical logic of the comparison.
Comparing 'conditions' to a planet is illogical; we must compare 'conditions' to the 'conditions' of the other planet.
ACT English requires comparisons to be between similar types of nouns.
3
Select the pronoun that matches the plural subject being compared.
Since 'atmospheric conditions' is plural, the plural pronoun 'those' is needed (resulting in 'those of Earth').
Using 'those of' refers back to 'atmospheric conditions' and completes the comparison logically.

Key Concept

Illogical and Incomplete Comparisons
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Topics

Illogical and Incomplete Comparisons

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