16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsVery hardSemicolons in a list with internal commas

Standard English Conventions practice question

The expedition's members came from Oslo, ____ Perth, Australia; and Nairobi, Kenya.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

  1. A. Norway;Correct
  2. B. Norway,
  3. C. Norway
  4. D. Norway:

Answer: A. Norway;

Items that contain commas are separated by semicolons.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. Norway,
A comma leaves the reader unable to tell cities from countries.
C. Norway
No separator.
D. Norway:
A colon does not separate list items.

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