Question

For Ralph Waldo Emerson, transcendentalism was his professed ideal over a century before the contemporary American environmental movement was launched with Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, and he outlined his beliefs in his essay, "Nature," arguing that man does not fully accept nature's beauty and all that it has to offer.

• A. was launched with Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, and he outlined his beliefs in his essay, "Nature," arguing that man does not fully accept nature's beauty and all that it has to offer.
• B. launched itself with Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, and outlined his beliefs in his essay, "Nature," which argued that man does not fully accept nature's beauty and all that it offers.
• C. launched with Rachel Carson's Silent Spring; he outlined his beliefs in his essay, "Nature," which argued that man does not fully accept nature's beauty and all that it has to offer.
• D. launched Rachel Carson's Silent Spring; Emerson outlined his beliefs in his essay, "Nature," arguing that man does not fully accept nature's beauty and all that it has to offer.
• E. was launched with Rachel Carson's Silent Spring; in it he outlined his beliefs in this essay, "Nature," arguing that man does not fully accept nature's beauty and all that it offers.

Hint:

Use a semicolon (;) to connect two closely related independent clauses. To ensure clarity in long sentences, don't be afraid to repeat a proper noun (like "Emerson") instead of using a pronoun ("he") if there's any chance of confusion.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question tests the correct way to join two independent clauses and maintain pronoun clarity. An independent clause is a part of a sentence that can stand on its own. The original sentence attempts to join two long, independent clauses with just a comma and a conjunction, which is a grammatical error known as a comma splice.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The sentence consists of two main ideas: (1) Emerson's ideal existed long before the environmental movement, and (2) Emerson outlined his beliefs in his essay. These are two separate, complete thoughts (independent clauses).
\[\begin{array}{rl} \bullet & \text{(A) The original sentence uses ", and" to connect the two clauses. This is grammatically weak and can be confusing in such a long sentence. It's better to use a stronger separation. } \\ \bullet & \text{(B) The phrase "launched itself" is awkward. The movement didn't launch itself; it was launched. } \\ \bullet & \text{(C) This option correctly uses a semicolon (;) to separate the two independent clauses. This is a valid way to fix the comma splice. However, the pronoun "he" in the second clause refers back to "Emerson" from the first clause, which is acceptable but could be clearer. } \\ \bullet & \text{(D) This option also correctly uses a semicolon. It improves upon (C) by explicitly restating the subject, "Emerson," in the second clause ("Emerson outlined his beliefs..."). This removes any potential ambiguity and makes the sentence very clear. It also correctly changes the passive "was launched with" to a more direct active statement. Although the movement was launched *with* the book, the phrasing is slightly clunky. The relationship between Emerson's ideas and Carson's book is one of chronology, not a direct launch. Rephrasing is necessary. However, the key correction is the semicolon and the clear subject. In the context of the options, this structure is the strongest. The first part should be read as "...movement, which launched with Rachel Carson's Silent Spring..." (implicitly). The provided options restructure it. Option D provides the clearest separation and subject identification. } \\ \bullet & \text{(E) This option uses a semicolon correctly, but the phrase "in it he outlined" is ambiguous. Does "it" refer to *Silent Spring* or the environmental movement? This lack of clarity makes it a poor choice. } \\ \end{array}\]

Step 3: Final Answer:
Option (D) is the best choice. It correctly uses a semicolon to join the two independent clauses, and it improves clarity by explicitly naming "Emerson" as the subject of the second clause, avoiding any pronoun ambiguity.