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Difficulty: MediumSentence Fragments

In the sixteenth century, Dutch cartographers revolutionized mapmaking by incorporating mathematical projections to represent the curved Earth on flat paper. Which allowed sailors to navigate long-distance ocean voyages with unprecedented accuracy. This advancement fundamentally changed global exploration and trade.

Which of the following choices is the best edit for the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. , which allowed sailors to navigate long-distance ocean voyages with unprecedented accuracy.Answer
  3. C
    , this allowed sailors to navigate long-distance ocean voyages with unprecedented accuracy.
  4. D
    ; which allowed sailors to navigate long-distance ocean voyages with unprecedented accuracy.

Answer

The option that replaces the period with a comma followed by the relative pronoun 'which' to connect the relative clause to the preceding independent clause.
The correct option correctly uses a comma followed by the relative pronoun 'which' to join the dependent relative clause to the preceding independent clause. This integrates the relative clause into the sentence, resolving the fragment error.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the underlined portion to determine if it is a complete sentence.
The original text starting with 'Which' is a dependent relative clause and cannot stand alone, making it a sentence fragment.
Relative clauses require an independent clause to attach to in order to be grammatically complete.
2
Evaluate the grammar of the options that connect the fragment to the preceding sentence.
Changing the period to a comma before 'which' correctly joins the relative clause to the main clause, making the sentence grammatically correct.
Commas are appropriate for attaching non-essential relative clauses to the end of a main clause.
3
Check the remaining options for other grammatical errors.
The option with ', this' creates a comma splice because it joins two independent clauses with only a comma. The option with '; which' is incorrect because a semicolon must separate two independent clauses, whereas 'which allowed...' is a dependent clause.
This step ensures that correct punctuation rules for independent and dependent clauses are followed and that incorrect options are systematically eliminated.

Key Concept

Sentence Fragments and Clause Integration
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Topics

Sentence Fragments

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