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Difficulty: HardEliminating Redundancy

During their observations of a distant galaxy, astronomers noticed a sudden spike in gamma-ray emissions; this temporary phenomenon, which was a short-lived event, indicated the collapse of a massive star.

Which choice most effectively and concisely completes the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. this temporary phenomenon indicatedAnswer
  3. C
    this temporary phenomenon, which indicated
  4. D
    this temporary phenomenon occurred, it indicated

Answer

this temporary phenomenon indicated
The option 'this temporary phenomenon indicated' is correct because it is the most concise choice that preserves the meaning of the sentence. It avoids the redundant repetition of the idea of duration present in the original sentence and forms a grammatically complete and correct independent clause after the semicolon.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify redundant phrasing in the underlined portion.
The words 'temporary' and 'short-lived' express the same concept of brief duration, making the phrase redundant.
Redundancy should be eliminated to maintain concise and effective writing.
2
Examine the grammatical structure of the sentence around the semicolon.
A semicolon must separate two independent clauses, meaning the clause after the semicolon must contain a subject and a verb and be able to stand alone.
Ensuring the choice is grammatically correct prevents the introduction of new errors like fragments or comma splices.
3
Compare the remaining options to find the most concise, grammatically correct option.
The option 'this temporary phenomenon indicated' is free of redundancy and forms a grammatically correct independent clause.
This option successfully removes the redundant description while maintaining the necessary independent clause structure.

Key Concept

Eliminating Redundancy
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Topics

Eliminating Redundancy

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