In studying the Yellowstone ecosystem, biologist Clara Henderson has documented how wolf reintroduction transformed predator-prey dynamics. Her resear...

Let's begin by understanding the meaning of this sentence. We'll use our understanding of pause points and segment the sentence as shown - understanding and assimilating the meaning of each segment bit by bit!

Sentence Structure

• In studying the Yellowstone ecosystem,
• biologist Clara Henderson
  • has documented
    • how wolf reintroduction transformed predator-prey dynamics.
• Her research demonstrates
  • that wolf hunting patterns don't operate independently
  • but instead closely [correlate] (?) [with] the seasonal migration routes
    • of elk herds
    • throughout the region.

Understanding the Meaning

Let's start with the first sentence to get context:

• 'In studying the Yellowstone ecosystem, biologist Clara Henderson has documented how wolf reintroduction transformed predator-prey dynamics.'
  • This tells us a biologist studied what happened when wolves were brought back to Yellowstone
  • She documented changes in how predators and prey interact

Now the second sentence gives us more detail about her findings:

• 'Her research demonstrates that wolf hunting patterns don't operate independently'
  • The way wolves hunt isn't random or isolated from other factors

This is where we have the blank:

• 'but instead closely ______ the seasonal migration routes of elk herds throughout the region'

Let's look at our choices:

• A. correlate, with
• B. correlate with
• C. correlate; with
• D. correlate. With

All choices have the word "correlate" followed by "with" - what varies is the punctuation (or lack of it) between these two words.

To see what works here, I need to understand how these words function together. Let me think about the phrase "correlate with":

• 'Correlate with' is a verb phrase that works as a unit
  • When you say something "correlates with" something else, you mean they're closely connected or related
  • "With" is essential to complete the meaning of "correlate"
  • You can't say just "correlate the migration routes" - you need "correlate WITH the migration routes"

What do we notice about the structure here?

• "Correlate with" is a verb + preposition combination that functions together
  • The preposition "with" is necessary to show what the wolf hunting patterns are connected to (the elk migration routes)
  • These two words work as a team - the verb needs its preposition to complete the thought
• When a verb and its essential preposition work together like this, we don't separate them with punctuation
  • They're too closely connected grammatically
  • Breaking them up would interrupt the natural flow of the verb phrase

So we need: correlate with (no punctuation between them)

The complete meaning is: Wolf hunting patterns don't work independently - instead, they're closely connected to when and where elk herds migrate seasonally throughout the region.

Grammar Concept Applied

Verb + Preposition Combinations (Conventional Expressions)

Certain verbs require specific prepositions to complete their meaning. These verb + preposition combinations (called phrasal verbs or idiomatic expressions in grammar terms) should not be separated by punctuation because they function as a single unit:

Pattern:

• Verb + Essential Preposition → No punctuation between them
• The preposition is necessary to complete the verb's meaning
• Together they show a specific relationship

Common Examples:

• "agree with" (not "agree, with")
• "depend on" (not "depend; on")
• "contribute to" (not "contribute. To")
• "correlate with" (not "correlate, with")

In this question:

• Verb: "correlate"
• Essential preposition: "with"
• Object of preposition: "the seasonal migration routes"
• Complete phrase: "correlate with the seasonal migration routes"

The verb "correlate" needs "with" to show the relationship between two things. Since "with" is essential to the verb's meaning (not optional extra information), we don't separate them with any punctuation.