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Difficulty: HardComparatives and Superlatives

Although the dental wear patterns of the Tyrannosaurus rex were more pronounced then a Triceratops, both species exhibited specialized adaptations that suited their respective diets.

Which of the following choices best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    more pronounced than a Triceratops
  3. more pronounced than those of a TriceratopsAnswer
  4. D
    more pronounced then those of a Triceratops

Answer

more pronounced than those of a Triceratops
The correct option correctly resolves the comparison by using 'those of' to represent the plural noun 'dental wear patterns', thereby comparing patterns to patterns. It also correctly uses 'than' for the comparison.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the elements being compared in the sentence.
The sentence attempts to compare the 'dental wear patterns' of a Tyrannosaurus rex with the corresponding features of a Triceratops.
To maintain logical syntax, the comparison must be between two equivalent things: patterns to patterns, not patterns to an entire dinosaur.
2
Check for illogical comparison errors.
Comparing 'wear patterns' directly to 'a Triceratops' is illogical. The sentence must compare the patterns of the Tyrannosaurus rex to 'those of' (representing the wear patterns of) a Triceratops.
This establishes grammatical parallelism and logical comparison.
3
Determine the correct comparative word.
Use the conjunction 'than' for comparisons rather than the adverb 'then', which indicates time.
The sentence is comparing the degree of wear ('more pronounced'), so 'than' is required.

Key Concept

Illogical comparisons occur when a sentence compares two items that are not of the same type. To fix this, use a comparative conjunction like 'than' and ensure the items being compared are parallel, often by using possessive nouns or pronouns like 'that of' or 'those of'.
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Topics

Comparatives and Superlatives

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