Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumEliminating Redundancy

She spent her days scouring the shoreline for fossils, which were ancient remains of prehistoric organisms that had died long ago, often risking her life to excavate them before the tides swept them away.

Which of the following is the most effective replacement for the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    fossils, they were ancient remains from the past,
  3. C
    fossils. Which were prehistoric remains of organisms,
  4. fossils,Answer

Answer

fossils,
The correct option, 'fossils,', is the most concise choice. It avoids redundancy since a 'fossil' by definition refers to the ancient remains of prehistoric organisms. Adding explanatory phrases like 'ancient remains of prehistoric organisms that had died long ago' is redundant and unnecessary.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the redundancy in the underlined portion of the sentence.
The word 'fossils' is defined as the preserved remains of prehistoric organisms. The descriptive clause 'which were ancient remains of prehistoric organisms that had died long ago' repeats this definition, making it redundant.
ACT English questions require eliminating redundant and repetitive information to keep sentences clear and concise.
2
Evaluate the grammar of the concise option and the other choices.
Replacing the underlined portion with just 'fossils,' eliminates the redundancy and maintains a grammatically correct sentence. The other options introduce comma splices or sentence fragments.
The correct answer must be both grammatically correct and free of unnecessary repetition.

Key Concept

Eliminating Redundancy
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Rate this question

Topics

Eliminating Redundancy

More questions from this topic