Question #N341
The first time I saw a red panda, it was at the zoo. These creatures are small and cute, with a reddish-brown fur, a long bushy tail, and a distinctive white facial marking. Red pandas are native to the eastern Himalayas, and their diet primarily consists of bamboo. However, these animals are endangered, their numbers declining due to habitat loss and poaching.
Which choice provides the best way to combine the sentences in the underlined portion, making it a single sentence?
A. However, these animals are endangered, their numbers are declining due to habitat loss and poaching.
B. However, these animals, endangered, their numbers are declining due to habitat loss and poaching.
C. However, these animals are endangered; their numbers are declining due to habitat loss and poaching.
D. However, these animals are endangered, their numbers declining due to habitat loss and poaching.
Correct Answer is: D
Choice D is the most effective way to combine the sentences, using a comma to separate the two independent clauses that have a similar grammatical structure. A comma is appropriate because the second clause is a dependent clause modifying the first clause.