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Difficulty: MediumRun-on Sentences and Comma Splices

Aeroponics is a soil-free cultivation method that suspends plant roots in the air, where they are periodically misted with nutrient-rich water. By eliminating the need for soil or growing media, this technique drastically reduces water consumption while accelerating plant growth. Traditional farming, however, remains more cost-effective for large-scale grains, urban vertical farms are increasingly adopting aeroponics for high-value leafy greens.

Which of the following options best replaces the underlined portion of the passage?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. grains; urban vertical farmsAnswer
  3. C
    grains; because urban vertical farms
  4. D
    grains. Although urban vertical farms

Answer

The correct option is the one that replaces the comma with a semicolon: 'grains; urban vertical farms'.
The option replacing the comma with a semicolon is correct because a semicolon is a standard punctuation mark used to separate two independent clauses. Both the clause before the punctuation and the clause after it are complete thoughts that can stand alone as sentences, so a semicolon resolves the comma splice without introducing any additional errors.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the two clauses surrounding the underlined portion.
Both 'Traditional farming, however, remains more cost-effective for large-scale grains' and 'urban vertical farms are increasingly adopting aeroponics for high-value leafy greens' are independent clauses.
To determine the appropriate punctuation or conjunction, we must first identify if the clauses are independent or dependent.
2
Evaluate the punctuation in the original passage.
The original passage joins these two independent clauses with only a comma.
Joining two independent clauses with only a comma creates a grammatical error known as a comma splice.
3
Select the option that correctly separates or joins the independent clauses without creating new errors.
Using a semicolon alone correctly separates the two independent clauses, whereas options that introduce subordinating conjunctions ('because' or 'Although') incorrectly create fragments.
A semicolon is grammatically required to separate two closely related independent clauses when no coordinating conjunction is present.

Key Concept

Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices
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Topics

Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices

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