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Difficulty: HardRun-on Sentences and Comma Splices

During the artisan baking process, food scientists studying sourdough fermentation have identified a complex community of wild yeasts and lactobacilli. The metabolic interaction between these microorganisms, which occurs over several hours, produces lactic acid, this acid lowers the pH of the dough. Consequently, this chemical shift inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria, thereby extending the bread's shelf life.

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

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    produces lactic acid; which lowers the pH of the dough
  3. C
    produces lactic acid. Which lowers the pH of the dough
  4. produces lactic acid, which lowers the pH of the doughAnswer

Answer

produces lactic acid, which lowers the pH of the dough
The correct option correctly uses a comma followed by the relative pronoun 'which' to subordinate the second clause. This resolves the comma splice by turning the second clause into a dependent relative clause that modifies 'lactic acid', resulting in a grammatically correct complex sentence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the original sentence structure to identify the grammatical error.
The original sentence contains two independent clauses ('The metabolic interaction... produces lactic acid' and 'this acid lowers the pH...') joined only by a comma, which is a comma splice error.
Identifying the clause boundaries helps determine what punctuation or conjunction is necessary to connect them legally.
2
Evaluate the choices to find a correction that does not introduce new errors.
Using a relative pronoun like 'which' after a comma subordinates the second clause, converting it into a dependent clause that modifies 'lactic acid'. Semicolons and periods cannot be followed by dependent clauses starting with relative pronouns unless they function as complete thoughts, which is not the case here.
This step ensures that the transition between clauses is both logically sound and grammatically correct under standard English rules.

Key Concept

Identifying and correcting comma splices and run-on sentences through proper punctuation and subordination.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices

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