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Difficulty: MediumIllogical and Incomplete Comparisons

In the following sentence, a portion is underlined:

"The coordinates of the ancient ruins were far more difficult to decipher than the modern cartographers, and they required advanced satellite imaging to map accurately."

Which of the following options most effectively corrects the underlined portion to ensure a logical comparison and correct sentence structure?

  1. A
    than the modern cartographers, and they
  2. B
    than those of modern cartographers, they
  3. than those of modern cartographers, and theyAnswer
  4. D
    than those of modern cartographers, and requiring

Answer

The option that corrects the comparison using 'than those of modern cartographers' and avoids a comma splice by using ', and they'.
The correct option resolves the illogical comparison by replacing 'the modern cartographers' with the plural possessive pronoun 'those of', which correctly refers back to 'coordinates'. Additionally, it correctly joins the two independent clauses using a comma and the coordinating conjunction 'and' followed by the subject 'they', maintaining proper sentence structure.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the items being compared in the original sentence.
The sentence compares 'The coordinates of the ancient ruins' with 'the modern cartographers'.
This is illogical because coordinates (data points) cannot be compared to cartographers (people).
2
Choose the correct pronoun to complete a logical comparison.
Because 'coordinates' is a plural noun, the plural possessive pronoun 'those of' must be used to refer back to it, yielding 'than those of modern cartographers'.
This compares coordinates to coordinates, which is logically and grammatically sound.
3
Evaluate the grammar of the clauses and check for proper coordination.
The final clause ('they required advanced satellite imaging...') is independent. To join it to the preceding independent clause, we must use a comma and a coordinating conjunction (', and they').
Using just a comma results in a comma splice, and using 'and requiring' violates parallel structure by mixing a past-tense verb with a participle.

Key Concept

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

Illogical and Incomplete Comparisons

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