Standard English ConventionsHardSemicolons in a complex series
Standard English Conventions practice question
The exhibition will travel to three partner museums — in Bilbao, ____ — before returning to the permanent collection.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- A. Spain; Nagoya, Japan; and Tartu, EstoniaCorrect
- B. Spain, Nagoya, Japan, and Tartu, Estonia
- C. Spain; Nagoya; Japan; and Tartu; Estonia
- D. Spain, Nagoya; Japan, and Tartu; Estonia
Answer: A. Spain; Nagoya, Japan; and Tartu, Estonia
When series items contain internal commas (city, country), semicolons separate the items: 'Bilbao, Spain; Nagoya, Japan; and Tartu, Estonia.'
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Spain, Nagoya, Japan, and Tartu, Estonia
- With commas everywhere, city-country pairs blur into a list of six places.
- C. Spain; Nagoya; Japan; and Tartu; Estonia
- Semicolons inside the pairs split each city from its own country.
- D. Spain, Nagoya; Japan, and Tartu; Estonia
- The marks are scattered without pattern, breaking the pairs apart.
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