Question

Reggie is writing an informational article about the operation of sustainable fisheries. In his informational article, four sections of text have been underlined. In each instance, the underlined text may require a correction or revision. Read Reggie’s informational article, paying special attention to the underlined text, and then answer the questions that follow.

Sustainable Fishing
(1) Recently, people have become more aware of the problems caused by fishing practices. (2) Overfishing occurs when people catch fish in an area faster than the fish can repopulate it. (3) In time, the number of fish that live in the area will drop which can lead to an imbalance of species.
(4) One cause of overfishing is increased demand. (5) Humans are eating more fish now than ever. (6) The fishing industry catches more fish to meet this need. (7) Additionally, the species humans eat include some that reqire more time to repopulate, such as bluefin tuna and Chilean seabass.
(8) “Bycatch” is another problem posed by contemporary fishing practices. (9) The term refers to the marine animals that are unintentionally caught in the nets or cages used for commercial fishing.
(10) People are concerned that overfishing and bycatch are threatening the survival of various species. (11) Researchers are working on solutions to these problems. (12) One solution is to avoid overfishing. (13) Another solution is using alternative fishing gear that reduces the amount of bycatch. (14) Finally, people can help if they wisely consider which fish species they will eat; for example, you might choose to eat fish species that repopulate faster, such as sardines.


Which revision corrects the error in sentence 3?
A. In time the number of fish that live in the area will drop which can lead to an imbalance of species.
B. In time, the number of fish that live in the area, will drop which can lead to an imbalance of species.
C. In time, the number of fish that live in the area will drop, which can lead to an imbalance of species.
D. In time, the number of fish that live in the area will drop which, can lead to an imbalance of species.

Answer 1

Answer: C.

Explanation: The nonrestrictive clause "which can lead to an imbalance of species" needs a comma before "which." Option C places the comma correctly and keeps the sentence grammatically correct.