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Difficulty: MediumEliminating Redundancy

To protect themselves from predators, pufferfish can inflate their elastic stomachs with water or air. This unique defense mechanism is a special adaptation that allows them to double in size and appear intimidating to potential threats.

Which choice is the most concise and grammatically correct option for the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. This mechanismAnswer
  3. C
    This adaptation is unique, it
  4. D
    Because this adaptation

Answer

The option stating 'This mechanism' is correct because it provides the most concise, grammatically sound way to transition between the sentences without repeating redundant terms.
The correct option is the most concise choice. It successfully conveys the intended meaning without repeating information or introducing grammatical errors.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the underlined text in the context of the sentence to identify any redundancy or repetition.
The phrases 'unique defense mechanism' and 'special adaptation' are synonymous in this context, as a protective strategy (defense mechanism) is an adaptation.
Identifying redundancy is the first step in solving ACT English questions focused on eliminating wordiness.
2
Evaluate the choices for conciseness, grammatical correctness, and sentence structure.
Replacing the underlined phrase with 'This mechanism' removes the repetition. The alternative option ending with 'it' creates a comma splice, and starting with 'Because' creates a sentence fragment.
This step ensures that the shortest correct option is selected while avoiding common grammatical errors like comma splices and fragments.

Key Concept

Eliminating Redundancy
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Topics

Eliminating Redundancy

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