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Question

Difficulty: EasySubordination and Coordination

Read the following passage:

Many people dismiss crows as noisy pests. Although these birds actually possess remarkable intelligence, showing the ability to solve complex problems and even make their own tools.

Which choice best replaces the underlined portion to make the sentence grammatically correct?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. pests, but these birds actuallyAnswer
  3. C
    pests; because these birds actually
  4. D
    pests, so these birds actually

Answer

The correct answer is 'pests, but these birds actually', which correctly joins the two independent clauses with a comma and the coordinating conjunction 'but' to show contrast.
The correct choice uses the coordinating conjunction 'but' preceded by a comma to join two independent clauses. This establishes a logical contrast between how people view crows (as pests) and what they actually are (highly intelligent).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the relationship between the two clauses: 'Many people dismiss crows as noisy pests' and 'these birds actually possess remarkable intelligence...'.
The two clauses present contrasting ideas, meaning they should be joined by a coordinating conjunction that shows contrast (like 'but') or structured as a dependent and independent clause pair.
Identifying the logical relationship is necessary to select the correct transition.
2
Evaluate the grammar and punctuation of each option.
The original sentence ('NO CHANGE') creates a sentence fragment because 'Although' makes the second clause dependent. Using a semicolon before 'because' is incorrect because semicolons must separate two independent clauses. Using 'so' is logically incorrect because it implies cause-and-effect.
Applying rules of coordination and subordination eliminates grammatically and logically incorrect options.

Key Concept

Subordination and Coordination
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Topics

Subordination and Coordination

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