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Difficulty: HardIllogical and Incomplete Comparisons

The administrative structures of medieval merchant guilds, which regulated local trade and protected artisans' interests, were far more decentralized than modern labor unions, which typically operate under a highly centralized leadership.

Which choice completes the sentence with a logical and grammatically correct comparison?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    modern labor unions; which
  3. those of modern labor unions, whichAnswer
  4. D
    that of modern labor unions, which

Answer

The correct option is the phrase that includes the pronoun 'those of' followed by a comma and the relative pronoun 'which' to logically compare structures to structures while maintaining grammatical agreement.
The correct answer resolves the illogical comparison by introducing the plural pronoun 'those' (representing 'structures'), thereby comparing the administrative structures of medieval merchant guilds to the administrative structures of modern labor unions. It also uses a comma to correctly introduce the nonrestrictive relative clause.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the elements being compared in the sentence.
The sentence attempts to compare the 'administrative structures of medieval merchant guilds' to 'modern labor unions.'
To ensure logical comparison, plural structures must be compared to plural structures, not to entire organizations.
2
Select the correct pronoun to represent the plural noun 'structures'.
The plural pronoun 'those' is required to refer back to 'structures'. Using 'that' would create a singular-plural mismatch.
Using 'those of' translates to 'the structures of,' making the noun-to-noun comparison logical and parallel.
3
Verify punctuation and grammatical integration.
The relative clause beginning with 'which' is nonrestrictive and must be set off with a comma, not a semicolon, to avoid a fragment.
This confirms that the option containing 'those of' and a comma is both logically and structurally correct.

Key Concept

Illogical and Incomplete Comparisons
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Illogical and Incomplete Comparisons

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