Examkin

Question

Difficulty: Very hardSentence-Level Transitions

In 1964, physicists Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson set out to map radio signals from the Milky Way using a highly sensitive horn antenna. They were plagued by a persistent, low-frequency hum that came from all directions in the sky, day and night. They meticulously cleaned the antenna and even removed nesting pigeons to eliminate any potential source of local interference, [1] consequently, the mysterious noise remained, pointing to a cosmic origin rather than equipment malfunction.

Which of the following choices, if substituted for the underlined portion, most effectively establishes a logical transition between the two clauses?

  1. A
    consequently,
  2. butAnswer
  3. C
    nonetheless,
  4. D
    and

Answer

but
The correct answer is the coordinating conjunction 'but'. The context requires a transition of contrast, as the physicists' attempts to eliminate local interference by cleaning the horn antenna did not stop the noise. Furthermore, because the sentence connects two independent clauses using only a comma, a coordinating conjunction is grammatically necessary to prevent a comma splice.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the logical relationship between the clause describing the cleaning efforts and the clause describing the persistent noise.
The relationship is one of contrast, because cleaning the equipment would normally be expected to eliminate the noise, yet the noise remained.
Identifying the logical connection is necessary to choose the correct transitional relationship.
2
Analyze the grammatical structure of the sentence.
The sentence contains two independent clauses joined by a comma.
Recognizing the clause structure helps avoid selecting an option that creates a comma splice.
3
Evaluate the choices to find one that is both grammatically correct and logically appropriate.
The coordinating conjunction 'but' is the only option that expresses contrast and can link two independent clauses after a comma without creating a comma splice.
Conjunctive adverbs like 'consequently' and 'nonetheless' require a semicolon or a period to join independent clauses, whereas coordinating conjunctions like 'and' express the wrong logical relation.

Key Concept

Sentence-Level Transitions and Comma Splices
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Rate this question

Topics

Sentence-Level Transitions

More questions from this topic