The automotive manufacturer revolutionized its assembly line ______ implementing a modular robotics system that reduced production costs by thirty per...

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

• The automotive manufacturer revolutionized its assembly line operations [?] by implementing a modular robotics system
  • that reduced production costs by thirty percent
    • while simultaneously improving vehicle quality ratings
      • across all tested categories.

Where [?] could be:

1. . By
2. , by
3. by (no punctuation)
4. and by

Understanding the Meaning

Let's start reading from the beginning:

The sentence tells us:

• 'The automotive manufacturer revolutionized its assembly line operations'
  • This is the main statement
  • Subject: the manufacturer
  • Action: revolutionized
  • What they revolutionized: their operations

This is where we have the blank.

Let's look at the choices:

• They're asking us about punctuation before 'by'
  • Should there be a period? A comma? Nothing? Or 'and'?

To see what works here, let's read the rest of the sentence and understand what it's saying!

The sentence continues:

• 'by implementing a modular robotics system that reduced production costs by thirty percent while simultaneously improving vehicle quality ratings across all tested categories.'

Now let's understand what this part is doing:

• 'By implementing a modular robotics system'
  • This isn't telling us a separate thing the manufacturer did
  • It's telling us HOW they revolutionized the operations
  • It's the METHOD or MEANS they used

• 'That reduced production costs by thirty percent while simultaneously improving vehicle quality ratings'
  • These details describe the robotics system
  • They tell us what the system accomplished

So the complete picture is:

• The manufacturer revolutionized operations [HOW?] by implementing this system

What do we notice about the structure here?

• 'By implementing' is a phrase that directly describes HOW the revolutionizing happened
  • It's not a separate action - it's connected to the verb 'revolutionized'
  • It answers the question: How did they revolutionize? By implementing this system

• This is one continuous thought flowing together:
  • [revolutionized operations] + [by implementing the system]
  • No pause needed between them

The correct answer is C - no punctuation needed. The phrase 'by implementing' flows directly from the verb it's describing.

Grammar Concept Applied

Connecting Verbs with Prepositional Phrases of Means

When a prepositional phrase tells us HOW an action was performed (showing the means or method), it flows directly from the verb without any punctuation separating them:

Pattern: Verb + prepositional phrase of means = no punctuation

Examples:

• The team won the championship by practicing every day
  • "won" = verb
  • "by practicing" = shows HOW they won
  • No comma needed

• She improved her grades by studying with a tutor
  • "improved" = verb
  • "by studying" = shows HOW she improved
  • No comma needed

In our question:

• The manufacturer revolutionized operations by implementing a system
  • "revolutionized" = verb
  • "by implementing" = shows HOW they revolutionized
  • No punctuation needed - they flow together as one complete thought

Key principle: When a phrase (called a prepositional phrase in grammar terms) directly modifies a verb to explain the method or means, don't separate them with punctuation. They work together to express one complete idea.