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Difficulty: EasyParallel Structure

The saguaro cactus (*Carnegiea gigantea*), which is native to the Sonoran Desert of North America, is highly renowned for its ability to withstand extreme, prolonged drought. To survive in these incredibly arid desert environments, the plant has developed several key physiological adaptations: it stores water in its thick stem, absorbs sudden rainfall with a shallow root system, and ______.

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

  1. A
    growing sharp spines to deter herbivores.
  2. B
    sharp spines are grown to deter herbivores.
  3. grows sharp spines to deter herbivores.Answer
  4. D
    the growth of sharp spines to deter herbivores.

Answer

grows sharp spines to deter herbivores.
The sentence presents a list of three actions that share the subject pronoun 'it'. The first two actions are expressed as active present-tense verbs ('stores' and 'absorbs'). To maintain parallel structure, the third action must also begin with an active present-tense verb. The phrase 'grows sharp spines to deter herbivores' conforms to this structure, making the sentence grammatically correct.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence structure and locate the list of items.
The sentence lists adaptations of the saguaro cactus: 'it stores water in its thick stem, absorbs sudden rainfall with a shallow root system, and [blank]'.
This identifies the list context where parallel structure must be maintained.
2
Determine the grammatical form of the existing items in the list.
The first item starts with 'stores' (a present-tense verb), and the second starts with 'absorbs' (a present-tense verb). Both share the subject pronoun 'it'.
This establishes the grammatical pattern that the final list item must follow.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that matches this present-tense verb pattern.
The option 'grows sharp spines to deter herbivores' starts with a present-tense verb 'grows', completing the parallel sequence.
Choosing this option ensures standard English parallelism conventions are followed.

Key Concept

Parallel Structure
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Topics

Parallel Structure

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