Punctuation
A comprehensive review evaluated the impact of algorithmic recommendations on online news consumption across multiple digital platforms. ______ concluded that users exposed to highly personalized content were less likely to encounter diverse viewpoints.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Media Scholar Jonathan Feldman:
B. Media Scholar Jonathan Feldman,
C. Media Scholar Jonathan Feldman
D. Media Scholar Jonathan Feldman,
C. Media Scholar Jonathan Feldman
“Media scholar” is essential
It identifies who Jonathan Feldman is in context.
While the sentence would still be grammatical, adding “Media scholar” is necessary to clarify his authority or role. This is essential information because it helps the reader understand why his conclusion matters.
Independent Clause, Dependent Clause, or Appositive Phrase?
While most of the cohort displayed ambivalent expressions
Dependent
This clause could NOT stand alone but it contains a subject and a verb.
A longitudinal investigation examined patterns of urban heat retention in densely populated metropolitan areas over a fifteen-year span. ______ determined that neighborhoods with fewer green spaces experienced significantly higher nighttime temperatures.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Climate Analyst Dr. Marisol Chen:
B. Climate Analyst Dr. Marisol Chen,
C. Climate Analyst Dr. Marisol Chen
D. Climate Analyst Dr. Marisol Chen,
C. Climate Analyst Dr. Marisol Chen
Identify the dependent clause
The researcher meticulously scrutinized a vast assemblage of data as she attempted to reconcile the discrepancies.
as she attempted to reconcile the discrepancies.
The Mission 66 initiative, which was approved by Congress in 1956, represented a major investment in the infrastructure of overburdened national _____ it prioritized physical improvements to the parks’ roads, utilities, employee housing, and visitor facilities while also establishing educational programming for the public.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A parks and
B parks
C parks;
D parks,
C parks;
While one requires oxygen and one does _____ and anaerobic respiration are both forms of cellular respiration—that is, they are processes by which cells break down glucose to use as energy.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. not aerobic
B. not. Aerobic
C. not, aerobic
D. not; aerobic
C
A comma is the appropriate way to link the dependent clause “While...not” and the independent clause that follows.
The novel explores themes of identity and belonging _____ its characters struggle to define themselves in a changing world.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. ,
B. ;
C. and
D. because
B
Both sides of the blank are independent clauses (complete sentences):
Clause 1: The novel explores themes of identity and belonging.
Clause 2: Its characters struggle to define themselves in a changing world.
When two independent clauses are closely related, the most correct punctuation is a semicolon.
The committee postponed the vote on the proposal _____ several members had expressed strong support for it.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. ; although
B. , although
C. although
D. , although,
although
Many historians once dismissed the artifact as insignificant _____ however, recent discoveries suggest it played a crucial role in ancient rituals.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. ,
B. ;
C. :
D. and
B
“However” is a transition word, not a conjunction. When it connects two independent clauses, it must follow a semicolon, not a comma.
The previously unrecognized virus pattern was identified by Dr. Evelyn Cho, the senior epidemiologist at the institute, because she had access to decades of patient records.
Does the punctuation need to be changed? If so, where?
No change
Even though the dependent clause is at the end of the sentence, the commas are needed around the unessential appositive phrase.