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Question

Difficulty: HardSentence Fragments

Unlike modern concrete, which degrades over a few decades, ancient Roman concrete has endured for millennia, even in harsh marine environments. Because the volcanic ash used in its mixture triggers a chemical reaction. This reaction continuously seals microscopic cracks that form over time.

Which of the following choices represents the most grammatically correct revision of the underlined portion?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    This endurance is because the volcanic ash used in its mixture triggers a chemical reaction; which
  3. C
    This is because the volcanic ash used in its mixture triggers a chemical reaction, it
  4. This longevity occurs because the volcanic ash used in its mixture triggers a chemical reaction thatAnswer

Answer

The choice that changes the underlined portion to 'This longevity occurs because the volcanic ash used in its mixture triggers a chemical reaction that' is the correct answer.
The correct answer resolves the fragment by introducing a subject ('This longevity') and a main verb ('occurs') to form a complete independent clause, while smoothly linking the next part of the passage with the relative pronoun 'that'. This results in a grammatically correct, coherent sentence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical issue in the original sentence.
The underlined phrase begins with 'Because' and lacks a main independent clause, making it a sentence fragment.
A dependent clause starting with a subordinating conjunction cannot stand alone as a sentence.
2
Evaluate the choices to find a version that resolves the fragment while maintaining proper sentence structure.
The choice starting with 'This longevity occurs' provides a complete independent clause and connects the remaining parts of the sentence using 'that' to modify 'reaction'.
This revision produces a single, cohesive, grammatically complete sentence.
3
Ensure that the other choices do not introduce new grammatical errors.
The choice using a semicolon before 'which' creates a fragment, and the choice using 'reaction, it' results in a comma splice.
We must eliminate options that introduce punctuation errors such as semicolon fragments or comma splices.

Key Concept

Identifying and correcting sentence fragments by establishing clear independent clauses and proper coordination/subordination.
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Topics

Sentence Fragments

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