Bill@VeritasPrep wrote:All around a bad sentence, but I don't think D is the best option. The phrase "that characterize its history " at its end is redundant because we're discussing "important themes that characterize its history".

If forced, I'd choose B. In the first part:

patterns of
1. dynastic rise and fall

and

2. intermittent aggression from northern aliens.

I don't think the comma before the second "and" is strictly necessary, but it's not incorrect. It serves to make the distinction between the two parts more obvious.

The second part:

together with
1. varying degrees of openness

and

2. the dynamics of stability

Not bad.


I think it makes sense to split the sentence like this because you have two distinct themes. First, the historical: rise and fall of dynasties, intermittent aggression. Second, the cultural: degrees of openness, dynamics of stability. [/b]

himu wrote:Among the important themes that characterize Chinese history are the patterns of dynastic rise and fall, intermittent aggression from northern aliens, and varying degrees of openness to outside cultural influences and the dynamics of stability and social harmony


A. Among the important themes that characterize Chinese history are the patterns of dynastic rise and fall, intermittent aggression from northern aliens, and varying degrees of openness to outside cultural influences and the dynamics of stability and social harmony
B. Among the important themes that characterize Chinese history are the patterns of dynastic rise and fall, and intermittent aggression from northern aliens, together with varying degrees of openness to outside cultural influences and the dynamics of stability and social harmony
C. The important themes that characterize Chinese history are the patterns of dynastic rise and fall, intermittent aggression from northern aliens, along with varying degrees of openness to outside cultural influences and the dynamics of stability and social harmony
D. Among the important themes of Chinese history are the patterns of dynastic rise and fall, intermittent aggression from northern aliens, varying degrees of openness to outside cultural influences and the dynamics of stability and social harmony that characterize its history
E. The important theme that characterizes Chinese history is the pattern of dynastic rise and fall, intermittent aggression from northern aliens, along with varying degrees of openness to outside cultural influences and the dynamics of stability and social harmony