In 1811, twelve-year-old Mary Anning and her brother Joseph discovered the fossilized skull of an ichthyosaur along the cliffs of Lyme Regis. At that point in time during those days, people did not yet understand the concept of extinction, so they initially assumed the skull belonged to a crocodile.
Which choice provides the most clear and concise wording for the underlined portion of the sentence?
- ANO CHANGE
- At that time, people did not yet understand the concept of extinction, so theyAnswer
- CAt that time, people did not yet understand the concept of extinction, they
- DIt was at that time that the concept of extinction was not yet understood by people, so they
Answer
At that time, people did not yet understand the concept of extinction, so they
The correct option is the most concise choice. It simplifies the temporal reference to a single, clear phrase ('At that time') and uses the active voice ('people did not yet understand') while maintaining the necessary coordinating conjunction ('so') to connect the two independent clauses without a comma splice.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Eliminating redundancy and passive wordiness while maintaining grammatical standards like avoiding comma splices.
Estimated Time:1m 0s