David is writing a report about whales. He wants to use prepositional phrases to pack more information into his sentences efficiently.
David wrote: 'Blue whales are large mammals. They live in the ocean. They can grow to 100 feet. They can weigh up to 200 tons.' Which revision best uses prepositional phrases to combine this information most effectively?
- Blue whales are large mammals in the ocean that grow to 100 feet and weigh 200 tons.
- In the ocean, blue whales are large mammals with lengths up to 100 feet and weights reaching 200 tons.
- Blue whales, which are large ocean mammals, can grow to 100 feet and weigh 200 tons.
- Large mammals of the ocean, blue whales can reach lengths of 100 feet and weights of 200 tons. (correct answer)
Explanation: Choice D most effectively uses prepositional phrases 'of the ocean,' 'of 100 feet,' and 'of 200 tons' to combine all the information efficiently while maintaining a sophisticated sentence structure. The phrase 'Large mammals of the ocean' serves as an appositive with a prepositional phrase. Choice A uses a relative clause rather than maximizing prepositional phrases. Choice B is effective but less elegant than D. Choice C relies on a relative clause instead of prepositional phrases.