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Question

Difficulty: MediumSentence Fragments

In 1856, eighteen-year-old chemist William Henry Perkin accidentally discovered mauveine, the first synthetic aniline dye, while attempting to synthesize quinine to treat malaria. Although his experiment failed to produce quinine. Instead, it yielded a dark, oily residue that colored silk a brilliant purple.

Which choice best corrects the underlined portion to ensure the sentence structure is grammatically complete?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    Although his experiment failed to produce quinine; instead, it
  3. Although his experiment failed to produce quinine, itAnswer
  4. D
    His experiment failed to produce quinine, it

Answer

Although his experiment failed to produce quinine, it
The correct choice resolves the fragment by using a comma to connect the introductory dependent clause to the main independent clause. This creates a single, grammatically complete sentence that clearly expresses the relationship between Perkin's failed attempt and his accidental discovery.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical structure of the underlined portion in the original text.
The clause 'Although his experiment failed to produce quinine' begins with the subordinating conjunction 'Although,' making it a dependent clause.
A dependent clause cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and must be joined to an independent clause.
2
Analyze the surrounding clauses to determine how they should be connected.
The following clause, 'it yielded a dark, oily residue,' is an independent clause that can stand alone.
Connecting a dependent clause to an independent clause requires a comma, not a period or semicolon, to avoid creating fragments.
3
Evaluate the options to find the one that correctly connects the clauses without introducing new errors.
The option replacing the period with a comma and combining the clauses is correct, while the options with the semicolon or comma splice are grammatically incorrect.
This resolves the sentence fragment and establishes a grammatically correct relationship between the cause and result.

Key Concept

A sentence fragment occurs when a dependent clause, such as one starting with a subordinating conjunction like 'although,' is written as a standalone sentence. It must be connected to an independent clause using a comma.
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Topics

Sentence Fragments

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