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Difficulty: MediumClause Boundaries and Linking

Unlike almost all other vertebrates, fish of the family Channichthyidae, or Antarctic icefish, do not possess hemoglobin to transport oxygen in their blood. Instead, they survive in the freezing, oxygen-rich waters of the Southern Ocean by relying on oxygen dissolved directly in their blood plasma ______ biological anomaly is facilitated by their unusually large hearts and wide blood vessels, which pump blood at high rates.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

  1. A
    , this
  2. B
    this
  3. ; thisAnswer
  4. D
    , although this

Answer

The correct answer is the option containing a semicolon followed by the pronoun 'this' ('; this').
The correct answer is the option that reads '; this'. The sentence contains two independent clauses: 'Instead, they survive in the freezing, oxygen-rich waters of the Southern Ocean by relying on oxygen dissolved directly in their blood plasma' and 'this biological anomaly is facilitated by their unusually large hearts and wide blood vessels, which pump blood at high rates.' A semicolon is a grammatically correct way to link two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the structure of the two clauses separated by the blank.
The first clause ('Instead, they survive... blood plasma') is an independent clause because it has a subject and a verb and can stand alone. The second clause ('this biological anomaly... high rates') is also an independent clause with its own subject ('this biological anomaly') and verb ('is facilitated').
Identifying clause types is necessary to determine the appropriate punctuation and conjunctions needed to link them.
2
Determine the grammatically correct way to connect two independent clauses.
Two independent clauses must be joined by a period, a semicolon, or a coordinating conjunction (like 'and') preceded by a comma.
Joining two independent clauses with only a comma creates a comma splice, and joining them with no punctuation at all creates a run-on sentence.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that correctly connects the clauses without introducing grammatical or logical errors.
The choice containing '; this' uses a semicolon to separate the two independent clauses, which is grammatically correct. The choice with ', this' is a comma splice, the choice with 'this' is a run-on sentence, and the choice with ', although this' incorrectly uses a subordinating conjunction of contrast when the relationship between the clauses is explanatory.
The correct option must satisfy standard English grammar rules and preserve the logical connection between the ideas.

Key Concept

Clause Boundaries and Linking
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Topics

Clause Boundaries and Linking

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