16Hit 1600
Standard English ConventionsVery hardColon after an independent clause only

Standard English Conventions practice question

The landslide model's accuracy depended on the factors it ____ rainfall intensity, soil type, and the steepness of the slope.

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

  1. A. includedCorrect
  2. B. included:
  3. C. included;
  4. D. included,

Answer: A. included

'The factors the model included' is not a complete sentence, so no colon (or other mark) may interrupt the verb-object connection: 'included rainfall, soil type, and slope.'

Why the other answers are wrong

B. included:
A colon may follow only a complete sentence; here it would split a verb from its objects.
C. included;
A semicolon cannot stand between a verb and its objects.
D. included,
A comma between the verb and its first object is unneeded and wrong.

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