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Question

Difficulty: MediumIllogical and Incomplete Comparisons

The conservation strategies for the endangered leatherback sea turtle are more complex than a typical freshwater turtle, they require international cooperation to protect nesting beaches.

Which of the following choices best corrects the underlined portion in the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    those of a typical freshwater turtle, they
  3. those of a typical freshwater turtle; theyAnswer
  4. D
    a typical freshwater turtle; they

Answer

The choice that states 'those of a typical freshwater turtle; they' is correct because it ensures a logical comparison by comparing 'conservation strategies' to 'those of' (the strategies of) a freshwater turtle, and it correctly uses a semicolon to separate two independent clauses.
The correct option is 'those of a typical freshwater turtle; they' because it resolves the illogical comparison by comparing 'conservation strategies' (plural) to 'those of' (plural pronoun referencing the strategies of) a freshwater turtle. It also correctly uses a semicolon to separate the two independent clauses.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the items being compared in the sentence.
The sentence compares the 'conservation strategies' (a plural noun phrase describing actions/plans) of the leatherback sea turtle to 'a typical freshwater turtle' (an animal).
To be grammatically and logically correct, comparisons must compare similar things (noun-to-noun or concept-to-concept).
2
Correct the illogical comparison using a plural pronoun.
Since 'conservation strategies' is plural, the pronoun 'those of' must be used to represent 'the conservation strategies of'.
This ensures that strategies are compared to other strategies, not to an animal.
3
Analyze the punctuation joining the two clauses.
The sentence contains two independent clauses: the first ends with the comparison, and the second begins with 'they require...'. A semicolon must be used instead of a comma to avoid a comma splice.
A comma alone cannot join two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.

Key Concept

Illogical Comparisons and Comma Splices
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Topics

Illogical and Incomplete Comparisons

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