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Difficulty: HardIllogical and Incomplete Comparisons

The structural integrity of the ancient Roman aqueduct is much stronger than the modern concrete bridge, which is prone to cracking under high stress.

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

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. that of the modern concrete bridge, whichAnswer
  3. C
    that of the modern concrete bridge, it
  4. D
    that of the modern concrete bridge; which

Answer

The correct option using 'that of' and a relative clause starting with 'which' ensures a logical comparison and correct sentence structure.
The correct option using 'that of' correctly compares the singular noun phrase 'the structural integrity' of the Roman aqueduct to 'that' (the structural integrity) of the modern concrete bridge. It also uses a comma to set off the nonessential relative clause starting with 'which', maintaining correct sentence structure.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the two entities compared in the sentence.
The sentence attempts to compare 'the structural integrity of the ancient Roman aqueduct' with 'the modern concrete bridge'.
This is an illogical comparison because a structural property (integrity) cannot be logically compared directly to a physical structure (bridge).
2
Determine the necessary pronoun to establish a logical comparison.
Since 'structural integrity' is singular, the singular pronoun 'that' (meaning 'the structural integrity') must be used to refer to the corresponding property of the bridge.
This establishes a parallel comparison: the structural integrity of the aqueduct is compared to that of the bridge.
3
Evaluate the punctuation and clause connection for the remaining clause.
The final clause 'which is prone to cracking...' is a dependent adjective clause modifying 'bridge.' It must be connected to the main clause using a comma rather than a semicolon, and it cannot start with the subject pronoun 'it' without creating a comma splice.
This avoids grammatical errors like comma splices and sentence fragments.

Key Concept

Illogical and Incomplete Comparisons
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Topics

Illogical and Incomplete Comparisons

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