16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsMediumNo colon directly after a verb

Standard English Conventions practice question

The three finalists ____ Ana Torres, Kofi Mensah and Lin Wei.

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

  1. A. wereCorrect
  2. B. were:
  3. C. were;
  4. D. were,

Answer: A. were

The names complete the verb 'were' — they are what the finalists were. Nothing separates a verb from its complement.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. were:
A colon must follow a complete clause; 'The three finalists were' is incomplete without the names.
C. were;
A semicolon needs a complete clause on each side.
D. were,
A comma between a verb and its complement is an error.

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