Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumIllogical and Incomplete Comparisons

The soaring vaults and pointed arches of Gothic cathedrals are much more structurally efficient than Romanesque churches, which relied on heavy, thick walls to support their massive weight.

Which choice best corrects the underlined portion to make the comparison logical and grammatically correct?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. those of Romanesque churches, which reliedAnswer
  3. C
    those of Romanesque churches; which relied
  4. D
    those of Romanesque churches, they relied

Answer

The option containing 'those of Romanesque churches, which relied' corrects the illogical comparison and uses proper punctuation.
The correct option replaces the illogical comparison by introducing the plural demonstrative pronoun 'those of,' which logically refers back to the plural subject 'soaring vaults and pointed arches.' Additionally, it correctly sets off the nonessential relative clause with a comma.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the elements being compared in the sentence.
The sentence attempts to compare 'The soaring vaults and pointed arches of Gothic cathedrals' (plural structural features) to 'Romanesque churches' (entire buildings).
To form a logical comparison, the sentence must compare structural features to other structural features, not to entire buildings.
2
Select the correct plural pronoun to replace the illogical comparison.
The plural pronoun 'those' must be used to refer back to the plural noun phrase 'soaring vaults and pointed arches.' This changes the comparison to 'those of Romanesque churches.'
Using 'those of' ensures that vaults and arches are being compared to the vaults and arches of Romanesque churches.
3
Evaluate the punctuation and grammatical structure of the remaining clauses.
The phrase 'which relied' is a dependent clause that modifies 'Romanesque churches' and must be separated from the main clause by a comma, not a semicolon or by initiating a comma splice.
A semicolon cannot separate a dependent clause from an independent clause, and replacing 'which' with 'they' creates an ungrammatical comma splice.

Key Concept

Illogical and Incomplete Comparisons
Rate this question

Topics

Illogical and Incomplete Comparisons

More questions from this topic