16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsHardSentence boundaries: correcting a fragment

Standard English Conventions practice question

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? ____ the telescope captured images sharper than any produced before.

  1. A. Because its newly aligned mirror,
  2. B. With its newly aligned mirror,Correct
  3. C. Its newly aligned mirror, which
  4. D. Although its newly aligned mirror

Answer: B. With its newly aligned mirror,

The prepositional phrase 'With its newly aligned mirror,' modifies the independent clause that follows, producing a complete sentence. Choices A and D begin subordinate clauses with no verb, leaving fragments, and C creates a relative clause with no main verb for the subject 'mirror'.

Why the other answers are wrong

A. Because its newly aligned mirror,
'Because' introduces a subordinate clause, but 'its newly aligned mirror' has no verb, so nothing completes that clause and you're left with a fragment attached to the main sentence.
C. Its newly aligned mirror, which
Following 'mirror' with 'which' turns the whole opening into a relative clause, so the subject 'mirror' never gets a main verb of its own.
D. Although its newly aligned mirror
'Although' starts a subordinate clause that needs its own verb, but 'its newly aligned mirror' is just a noun phrase — and no comma separates it from the main clause either.

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