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Difficulty: Very hardIllogical and Incomplete Comparisons

While examining the murals of Tarquinia, the archeologist noted that the preservation level of the Etruscan frescoes was far superior to the Roman ruins at Pompeii, which had suffered significant volcanic damage.

Which choice makes the comparison in the underlined portion of the sentence logical and grammatically correct?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    was far superior to those of the Roman ruins at Pompeii; they had suffered significant volcanic damage.
  3. was far superior to that of the Roman ruins at Pompeii, which had suffered significant volcanic damage.Answer
  4. D
    was far superior than the Roman ruins at Pompeii, they had suffered significant volcanic damage.

Answer

The correct choice is 'was far superior to that of the Roman ruins at Pompeii, which had suffered significant volcanic damage.'
The correct choice is correct because it uses the singular pronoun 'that' to refer back to the singular noun phrase 'preservation level,' establishing a logical comparison between the preservation level of the Etruscan frescoes and the preservation level of the Roman ruins at Pompeii. It also correctly uses the idiom 'superior to' and avoids any punctuation or clause connection errors.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the underlined comparison to identify the items being compared.
The subject of the comparison is the singular noun phrase 'the preservation level.' In the original sentence, this level is compared directly to 'the Roman ruins at Pompeii.'
Comparisons must compare comparable things. Comparing a 'level' (a characteristic) directly to 'ruins' (objects) is illogical.
2
Determine the correct pronoun to replace the compared noun phrase.
Because 'preservation level' is singular, it must be compared to 'that of the Roman ruins' (meaning 'the preservation level of the Roman ruins'). Using 'those of' would be incorrect because 'those' is plural.
Pronoun-antecedent agreement must be maintained, so the singular pronoun 'that' must match the singular noun 'level.'
3
Evaluate the grammar, idioms, and punctuation of the remaining options.
The correct preposition is 'to' after 'superior.' The option ending with a comma splice (joining two clauses with a comma and no coordinating conjunction) is grammatically incorrect.
A grammatically correct choice must avoid run-on sentences, comma splices, and incorrect preposition idioms.

Key Concept

Illogical and Incomplete Comparisons
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Illogical and Incomplete Comparisons

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