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Difficulty: EasyParallel Structure

To reduce environmental waste and reliance on fossil fuels, chemical engineers are developing bioplastics made from plant starches like corn and sugarcane. In recent laboratory tests, these bio-based alternatives have shown great promise because they are designed to decompose quickly under compost conditions, release fewer greenhouse gases during their production, and _______

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

  1. leave no toxic residue in the surrounding soilAnswer
  2. B
    leaving no toxic residue in the surrounding soil
  3. C
    they leave no toxic residue in the surrounding soil
  4. D
    the avoidance of leaving toxic residue in the surrounding soil

Answer

leave no toxic residue in the surrounding soil
The correct option is 'leave no toxic residue in the surrounding soil' because it uses the base verb 'leave,' which maintains the parallel structure established by the other verbs in the series, 'decompose' and 'release.' All three verbs function as infinitives controlled by the helper phrase 'are designed to' ('are designed to decompose... [to] release... and [to] leave...').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical structure of the listed items preceding the conjunction 'and'.
The sentence lists three characteristics: 'decompose quickly under compost conditions' and 'release fewer greenhouse gases during their production.' Both are base verbs controlled by the phrase 'are designed to'.
To maintain parallel structure, the final item in the list must also be a base verb phrase.
2
Evaluate the choices to find the one that begins with a base verb matching 'decompose' and 'release'.
The phrase beginning with 'leave' is the only choice that matches this grammatical pattern.
Selecting this option ensures the sentence conforms to parallel structure.

Key Concept

Parallel structure requires that items in a list or comparison maintain a consistent grammatical form.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Parallel Structure

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