16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsVery hardDash pair enclosing a list with commas

Standard English Conventions practice question

Everything she ____ books, letters, photographs—was lost in the flood.

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

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

Answer: A. owned—

The list closes with a dash, so it opens with one.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. owned,
A comma would make 'books' another item after 'owned'.
C. owned:
A colon does not pair with a closing dash.
D. owned;
A semicolon splits the subject.

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