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Difficulty: HardSentence Fragments

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents, which were first discovered in 1977 near the Galápagos Rift, support complex ecosystems in complete darkness. Here, bacteria generate energy by oxidizing hydrogen sulfide. A process known as chemosynthesis, which forms the foundation of a food web that sustains giant tube worms and ghost crabs.

Which of the following options represents the most grammatically correct replacement for the underlined portion?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. Here, bacteria generate energy by oxidizing hydrogen sulfide through a process known as chemosynthesis,Answer
  3. C
    Here, bacteria generate energy by oxidizing hydrogen sulfide; a process known as chemosynthesis,
  4. D
    Here, bacteria generate energy by oxidizing hydrogen sulfide, a process known as chemosynthesis, it forms

Answer

Here, bacteria generate energy by oxidizing hydrogen sulfide through a process known as chemosynthesis,
The correct option resolves the fragment by converting the separate noun phrase into a prepositional phrase ('through a process') that modifies how the bacteria generate energy. This smoothly links the main clause to the relative clause beginning with 'which,' creating a single, grammatically correct sentence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the structure of the underlined portion and the sentence context.
The original text divides the thought into two sentences. The first sentence is complete, but the second sentence starting with 'A process' is a noun phrase followed by a relative clause and lacks a main verb.
Identifying sentence fragments requires checking if each punctuated sentence contains both a subject and a verb and forms a complete thought.
2
Evaluate the choices to find a version that resolves the fragment.
Replacing the period with 'through a process' links the chemical process directly to the verb 'oxidizing,' integrating all clauses into a single grammatically correct sentence.
Converting a fragment into a modifier or linking it to the main clause is an effective way to fix sentence fragment errors.
3
Verify that the other choices do not introduce new grammatical errors.
The semicolon choice creates a punctuation fragment, and the choice adding 'it forms' creates a comma splice.
Distractors must be checked for run-on sentences, comma splices, and incorrect punctuation usage.

Key Concept

Sentence Fragments
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Topics

Sentence Fragments

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