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Question

Difficulty: MediumSentence Fragments

In 1856, eighteen-year-old chemist William Henry Perkin was attempting to synthesize quinine, a treatment for malaria. While washing out a beaker containing a failed experiment. He noticed that the dark, sludgy residue left behind dissolved into a beautiful purple solution that could dye silk.

Which of the following options is the most grammatically correct choice for the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    While washing out a beaker containing a failed experiment; he noticed
  3. Washing out a beaker containing a failed experiment, he noticedAnswer
  4. D
    He washed out a beaker containing a failed experiment, he noticed

Answer

The grammatically correct choice is the option that converts the opening phrase into a participial modifier and connects it with a comma to the main clause: 'Washing out a beaker containing a failed experiment, he noticed'.
The correct option replaces the subordinating conjunction 'while' with a participial phrase ('Washing out a beaker...'), which functions as an introductory modifier that properly attaches to the main clause ('he noticed...') with a comma. This creates a single, grammatically complete sentence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical components of the original underlined portion and the surrounding text.
The first clause 'While washing out a beaker containing a failed experiment' is a dependent clause, and the second clause 'He noticed...' is an independent clause.
A dependent clause cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.
2
Evaluate the options to find a choice that resolves the fragment while maintaining a correct relationship between the clauses.
Using a comma to connect a participial phrase to the main clause is correct, whereas a semicolon requires two independent clauses and a comma splice must be avoided.
A participial phrase acts as an introductory modifier and must be joined to the independent clause it modifies by a comma.

Key Concept

Sentence fragments occur when a dependent clause or phrase is punctuated as a complete sentence. They can be corrected by joining them to an independent clause using appropriate punctuation or modifying their structure.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Sentence Fragments

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