16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsVery hardClosing a nested clause in a compound subject

Standard English Conventions practice question

Neither the captain, who had sailed the strait a dozen times, nor the pilot, who had grown up on its ____ had seen ice so far south in May.

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

  1. A. shore,Correct
  2. B. shore;
  3. C. shore
  4. D. shore, and

Answer: A. shore,

The second who-clause must close with a comma before the main verb.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. shore;
A semicolon splits the subject from its verb.
C. shore
The closing comma is missing.
D. shore, and
The conjunction leaves the subject without a verb.

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