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Difficulty: Very hardRun-on Sentences and Comma Splices

The restoration of the medieval cathedral's stained glass windows required a painstaking process of chemical stabilization, because the glass was susceptible to "glass disease," a progressive decay caused by moisture. Artists had to apply a protective silica coating to the exterior surfaces, however, this intervention, which successfully halted the decay, slightly altered the refraction of light through the glass. Consequently, the team had to calibrate the coating's thickness to preserve the windows' original luminosity.

Which of the following options is the most grammatically correct replacement for the underlined portion?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. surfaces; however, this intervention, whichAnswer
  3. C
    surfaces; however, because this intervention, which
  4. D
    surfaces; however, this intervention, that

Answer

The correct answer is the option that replaces the underlined text with a semicolon followed by 'however,' a comma, and the relative pronoun 'which'.
The correct answer correctly uses a semicolon to separate the two independent clauses before the conjunctive adverb 'however.' It also properly punctuates the non-restrictive relative clause ('which successfully halted the decay') with commas.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the clause structure of the passage surrounding the transition word 'however'.
The clauses before and after 'however' are both independent clauses capable of standing alone as complete sentences.
This determines that a strong punctuation mark (like a semicolon or period) or a coordinating conjunction is required to connect them.
2
Evaluate the grammar of the original sentence (Option A).
The original sentence joins the independent clauses with only a comma before 'however,' which is a conjunctive adverb, resulting in a comma splice.
This rules out the option containing the original punctuation.
3
Examine the remaining options for sentence structure and punctuation errors.
Adding 'because' after 'however' (Option C) creates a dependent clause and a fragment. Using 'that' within commas (Option D) creates a restrictive comma error since 'that' clauses cannot be set off by commas. Only Option B correctly uses a semicolon to join the clauses and maintains the proper non-restrictive pronoun 'which'.
This confirms the correct choice by process of elimination of standard grammatical errors.

Key Concept

Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices

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