Question #N931
A researcher studying the mating habits of the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) was surprised to find that, rather than selecting a mate based on visual cues, male octopuses seemed to favor a female based on her sense of smell. The research team hypothesized that, during their mating rituals, the male octopuses secrete a chemical pheromone that the females can smell and that this pheromone influences the female’s choice of mate. What would be the best way to revise the underlined portion of the sentence to improve the clarity of the passage?
The most effective way to revise the underlined portion of the sentence to improve the clarity of the passage is toCorrect Answer is: D
Choice D is the best way to revise the underlined portion of the sentence to improve the clarity of the passage. This choice clarifies the relationship between the pheromone and the females’ choice of mate by using a relative pronoun, “which,” to connect the two ideas. Choice A is incorrect because “which” is not the correct pronoun to use in this context. Choice B is incorrect because “who” should be used to refer to a person, not a thing. Choice C is incorrect because removing the phrase “that the females can smell” would make the sentence grammatically incorrect.