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Difficulty: Very hardSubordination and Coordination

Classicist Alice Kober spent years cataloging grammatical inflections on Linear B clay tablets, [1] although her grid system established the foundation for the script's decipherment, but she died before the final translation was complete.

Which of the following choices best replaces the underlined portion to ensure the sentence is grammatically correct and logically structured?

  1. A
    although her grid system established the foundation for the script's decipherment, but she died before the final translation was complete.
  2. B
    her grid system established the foundation for the script's decipherment; however, she died before the final translation was complete.
  3. and while her grid system established the foundation for the script's decipherment, she died before the final translation was complete.Answer
  4. D
    and while her grid system established the foundation for the script's decipherment; she died before the final translation was complete.

Answer

The correct option is the one starting with 'and while', which uses the coordinating conjunction 'and' to link the initial independent clause to a complex clause where the concession is properly subordinated using 'while' and followed by a comma before the main clause.
The correct option is the phrasing starting with 'and while'. It correctly uses the coordinating conjunction 'and' (paired with the comma after 'tablets') to connect the first independent clause to the rest of the sentence. The rest of the sentence is a complex clause containing a dependent clause introduced by the subordinating conjunction 'while' ('while her grid system established the foundation for the script's decipherment') and a main independent clause ('she died before the final translation was complete'), separated properly by a comma.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the structure of the surrounding sentence and identify the independent clauses.
The clause before the underlined portion, 'Classicist Alice Kober spent years cataloging grammatical inflections on Linear B clay tablets,' is a complete independent clause.
Understanding the grammatical status of the surrounding clauses determines how the underlined portion must connect to them.
2
Evaluate the original underlined text for coordination and subordination errors.
The original text uses both 'although' (subordinating) and 'but' (coordinating) to connect the clauses, which is an incorrect double-conjunction structure.
Identifying the error in the original text rules out the 'NO CHANGE' option.
3
Examine the grammatical structure of the alternative choices to identify run-ons, comma splices, or fragment errors.
The option beginning with 'her grid system' creates a comma splice with the first independent clause. The option using a semicolon after 'decipherment' incorrectly separates a dependent clause from an independent clause.
Eliminating grammatically incorrect choices narrows down the options to the single correct structure.
4
Verify that the correct option creates a grammatically sound compound-complex sentence with logical transitions.
The option starting with 'and while' uses the coordinating conjunction 'and' (with a preceding comma) to connect the first independent clause to the subsequent complex clause, which has a properly subordinated dependent clause ('while...') and a main clause ('she died...').
Confirming both grammatical and logical consistency ensures the final choice is correct.

Key Concept

Avoiding double-conjunction errors and comma splices by properly balancing coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions, and punctuation between independent and dependent clauses.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Subordination and Coordination

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