Paragraph 7:

One empirical study suggests that a shortened school year, with an added intercession period for low-achieving students, may enhance overall student achievement. ____________________ a general improvement, a positive impact was noted for students identified as economically disadvantaged on state assessment tests (Byrd, 2001).

Question

Paragraph 7:

One empirical study suggests that a shortened school year, with an added intercession period for low-achieving students, may enhance overall student achievement. ____________________ a general improvement, a positive impact was noted for students identified as economically disadvantaged on state assessment tests (Byrd, 2001).

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

We start by restating the prompt to keep the context clear: In Paragraph 7, the sentence reads: 'One empirical study suggests that a shortened school year, with an added intercession period for low-achieving students, may enhance overall student achievement. ____________________ a general improvement, a positive impact was noted for students identified as economically disadvantaged on state assessment tests (Byrd, 2001).'

Option 1: 'Additionally' — This word functions as a conjunctive adverb meaning 'in addition' or 'moreover.' Placing it at the start of the second clause naturally links the new information to the prior statement and preserves the intended-flow: 'Additionally, a general improvement, a positive impact was noted...' The sentence remains fluent and grammatically correct.

Option 2: 'Besides' — While 'besides' can mean 'in addition to,' it often carries a slightly casual or emphatic tone and can awkwardly start a sentence in formal writing. In this specific structure, 'Besides a general improvement, a positive impact was noted' reads less smoothly and can imply an isolated additional point rather than a direct continuation of the prior finding.

Option 3: 'As well' — 'As well' typically follows a comma and tends to attach to the preceding element (e.g., 'a general improvement, as well as a positive impact...'). Starting the sentence with 'As well' without a preceding clause creates a disrupted syntax: 'As well a general improvement, a positive impact was noted...' This is grammatical but clumsy, and it may break the intended parallelism between the ideas.

Now, evaluating each option for the overall sentence construction:
- Option 1 ('Additionally') cleanly introduces the subsequent finding as an additional result, maintaining formal academic tone and clear linkage between the ideas.
- Option 2 ('Besides') can be used, but in formal reporting of findings it tends to feel less formal and can slightly alter emphasis away from a direct continuation.
- Option 3 ('As well') risks awkward syntax when placed at sentence start in this context, and might require reordering (e.g., 'As well as a general improvement, a positive impact was noted...') to be grammatical.

In terms of deciding which option best preserves the intended meaning and flow, Option 1 provides the most natural and correct continuation for a formal empirical statement. The alternatives introduce mild grammatical or stylistic issues that reduce clarity or formality.

Note on nuance: If the sentence were integrated differently, 'Besides' could be acceptable, but the given structure favors 'Additionally' for smooth, formal progression. Likewise, 'As well' would necessitate minor rephrasing to preserve parallel structure and readability.

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