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Difficulty: HardSubordination and Coordination

During the early nineteenth century, Sequoyah, a Cherokee silversmith, became convinced that written language was a source of power for European settlers; consequently, although he did not read or write English, but he spent years developing a writing system for the Cherokee language. Ultimately, he created a syllabary of eighty-five characters that enabled his people to achieve literacy rapidly.

Which choice best maintains grammatical correctness and clear sentence structure in the underlined portion?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    , consequently, although he did not read or write English, he spent
  3. ; consequently, although he did not read or write English, he spentAnswer
  4. D
    ; consequently, although he did not read or write English; he spent

Answer

The correct option is the one that uses a semicolon before 'consequently' to separate the independent clauses and a comma after the dependent clause to separate it from the main clause, reading '; consequently, although he did not read or write English, he spent'.
The correct option correctly uses a semicolon to separate the first independent clause from the conjunctive adverb 'consequently' and avoids combining 'although' with a coordinating conjunction like 'but'. It also correctly uses a comma to set off the introductory dependent clause from the main clause.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the relationship between the two main clauses.
The text contains two independent clauses: 'Sequoyah... became convinced...' and 'he spent years...'. These must be joined by a semicolon since they are connected by the conjunctive adverb 'consequently'.
Conjunctive adverbs cannot connect independent clauses with only a comma without causing a comma splice.
2
Evaluate the subordination structure of the intervening clause.
The clause 'although he did not read or write English' is a dependent clause introduced by the subordinating conjunction 'although'. It must modify the independent clause that follows without any intervening coordinating conjunctions.
Adding a coordinating conjunction like 'but' after a dependent clause leaves the sentence without a main independent clause, resulting in a fragment.
3
Select the option that correctly punctuates both parts of the sentence structure.
The correct choice must have a semicolon before 'consequently' and set off the dependent clause with a comma rather than a semicolon.
A semicolon cannot separate a dependent clause from its corresponding independent clause.

Key Concept

Subordination and Coordination
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Subordination and Coordination

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