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Difficulty: MediumSubordination and Coordination

Deep within a mountain on the remote island of Spitsbergen, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault protects millions of crop seeds. The vault is built deep inside a sandstone mountain, where the surrounding permafrost maintains a natural freezing temperature even if the cooling system fails.

Which of the following options is the best choice for the underlined portion in the passage?

  1. NO CHANGEAnswer
  2. B
    , the surrounding permafrost maintains a natural freezing temperature
  3. C
    ; because the surrounding permafrost maintains a natural freezing temperature
  4. D
    , while the surrounding permafrost maintaining a natural freezing temperature

Answer

NO CHANGE
The original phrasing 'NO CHANGE' is correct because it uses the relative adverb 'where' to connect a subordinate clause to the main clause. This subordinate clause is grammatically complete, contains a subject and a conjugated verb, and correctly modifies the preceding noun 'mountain'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the underlined portion to determine if the clause connection is grammatically correct and logical.
The original text uses the relative adverb 'where' to initiate a subordinate clause modifying the noun 'mountain'. This clause contains a subject ('permafrost') and a finite verb ('maintains'), making it grammatically complete as a subordinate clause.
Correct subordination allows the sentence to flow logically without creating run-ons or fragments.
2
Evaluate the other choices to identify punctuation and clause structure errors.
Removing 'where' and using a comma creates a comma splice between two independent clauses. Using a semicolon with 'because' creates a fragment since semicolons must separate two independent clauses. Using 'while' with the participle 'maintaining' fails to provide a finite verb, creating a fragment.
Standard English grammar rules prohibit joining independent clauses with only a comma, and dependent clauses cannot follow a semicolon or lack a finite verb.

Key Concept

Subordination and Coordination
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Topics

Subordination and Coordination

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