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Difficulty: HardSentence Fragments

The following passage is an excerpt from a science article about ecosystems.

Peatlands function as highly efficient carbon sinks, storing more carbon than all of the world's forests combined. Although they cover only three percent of the Earth's land surface.

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

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    combined; although they cover only three percent of the Earth's land surface.
  3. C
    combined, they cover only three percent of the Earth's land surface.
  4. combined, although they cover only three percent of the Earth's land surface.Answer

Answer

combined, although they cover only three percent of the Earth's land surface.
The correct option correctly joins the dependent clause starting with 'although' to the main independent clause using a comma. This resolves the sentence fragment without introducing any punctuation errors.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical structures of the two clauses in the sentence.
The first clause ('Peatlands function as highly efficient carbon sinks, storing more carbon than all of the world's forests combined') is independent. The second clause ('Although they cover only three percent of the Earth's land surface') starts with the subordinating conjunction 'Although' and is dependent.
Understanding clause types is necessary to choose the correct punctuation to join them.
2
Evaluate the original sentence structure in the passage.
A period separates the independent clause from the dependent clause, turning the dependent clause into a sentence fragment.
To test if the original text is correct or needs revision.
3
Evaluate the options to find the grammatically correct connection.
Using a semicolon before 'although' is incorrect because a semicolon must join two independent clauses. Removing 'although' and using a comma creates a comma splice because it joins two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction. Connecting the dependent clause to the independent clause using a comma and 'although' correctly forms a single complex sentence.
To eliminate grammatically incorrect options and select the correct answer.

Key Concept

Sentence Fragments
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Sentence Fragments

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