Examkin

Question

Difficulty: HardSubordination and Coordination

In 1977, oceanographers exploring the Galápagos Rift made a startling discovery: deep-sea hydrothermal vents teeming with previously unknown life forms. These organisms did not rely on sunlight for energy, they instead thrived on chemical reactions driven by geothermal heat.

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

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    energy; instead thriving
  3. energy; instead, they thrivedAnswer
  4. D
    energy, and instead, thriving

Answer

energy; instead, they thrived
The correct option correctly uses a semicolon to separate two independent clauses, followed by the conjunctive adverb 'instead' to show the contrast/alternative relationship between the two ideas.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the original sentence structure to identify the clauses.
The sentence contains two independent clauses: 'These organisms did not rely on sunlight for energy' and 'they instead thrived on chemical reactions driven by geothermal heat.'
Identifying clause types is necessary to determine the appropriate punctuation and conjunctions needed to connect them.
2
Evaluate the punctuation used in the original sentence.
The original sentence joins the two independent clauses with only a comma, which is a grammatical error known as a comma splice.
Independent clauses cannot be joined by a comma alone; they require a coordinating conjunction, a semicolon, or a period.
3
Compare the remaining options to find the correct method of coordination or subordination.
The option containing a semicolon followed by 'instead' and a complete independent clause ('energy; instead, they thrived') correctly links the two clauses. The other options either retain the comma splice, use a semicolon with a fragment, or introduce an ungrammatical participial phrase.
Choosing a grammatically correct coordination structure resolves the comma splice while maintaining the logical relationship between the clauses.

Key Concept

Subordination and Coordination
Rate this question

Topics

Subordination and Coordination

More questions from this topic