16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsVery hardComma before a contrasting 'not' phrase

Standard English Conventions practice question

The report blamed the delay on poor planning ____ on the bad weather that the contractor had cited.

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

  1. A. , notCorrect
  2. B. not
  3. C. ; not
  4. D. . Not

Answer: A. , not

A contrasting phrase beginning with 'not' — 'not on the bad weather' — is set off with a comma.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. not
Without the comma, 'poor planning not on the bad weather' is hard to parse.
C. ; not
A semicolon needs a complete clause on each side; 'not on the bad weather...' isn't one.
D. . Not
'Not on the bad weather that the contractor had cited' is a fragment.

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