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Standard English ConventionsVery hardDash before a summarizing pronoun

Standard English Conventions practice question

The rover team packed redundancy, spare parts, and almost supernatural patience — and in the end they needed ____ of it mattered when the landing window shrank to ninety seconds.

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

  1. A. nothing — allCorrect
  2. B. nothing, all
  3. C. nothing; all,
  4. D. nothing all

Answer: A. nothing — all

After a list, a dash before the summarizing subject 'all' gathers the items into a new clause: '…spare parts, and patience — all of it mattered.'

Why the other answers are wrong

B. nothing, all
A comma before 'all of it mattered' splices the summary clause onto the list.
C. nothing; all,
The semicolon could work, but the stray comma after 'all' breaks the new clause's subject from its verb.
D. nothing all
With no mark, the list crashes into the summary clause.

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