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Difficulty: HardParallel Structure

To evaluate the environmental impact of the new highway, the engineering firm measured local air quality, surveyed local wildlife populations, and they also analyzed runoff samples from nearby streams.

Which choice best maintains the parallel structure of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. analyzed runoff samples from nearby streamsAnswer
  3. C
    analyzing runoff samples from nearby streams
  4. D
    analyzed runoff samples from nearby streams, this helped them assess the water quality

Answer

The correct choice is 'analyzed runoff samples from nearby streams', as it uses a past-tense verb phrase that is parallel to the preceding items in the series.
The correct choice, 'analyzed runoff samples from nearby streams', uses a simple past-tense verb followed by its direct object and a modifying prepositional phrase. This matches the grammatical structure of the first two items in the list ('measured local air quality' and 'surveyed local wildlife populations'), thereby maintaining parallel structure.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the items in the list or series within the sentence.
The list consists of three actions performed by the engineering firm: 'measured local air quality', 'surveyed local wildlife populations', and the underlined portion.
Recognizing the structure of the list establishes the pattern that must be maintained.
2
Analyze the grammatical structure of the first two items in the series.
Both 'measured local air quality' and 'surveyed local wildlife populations' are past-tense verb phrases (verb + direct object + prepositional modifier).
This establishes that the third item must also be a past-tense verb phrase to maintain parallel structure.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that maintains this past-tense verb phrase structure.
The choice 'analyzed runoff samples from nearby streams' matches this pattern exactly, while the other choices introduce pronouns, shifting verb forms, or comma splices.
Selecting the parallel structure ensures grammatical consistency and correctness.

Key Concept

Parallel structure requires that items in a series or list follow the same grammatical pattern (noun with noun, verb with verb, etc.) to ensure clarity and balance.
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Topics

Parallel Structure

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