Standard English ConventionsMediumNo comma before a 'whether' clause
Standard English Conventions practice question
The referee could not decide ____ the ball had fully crossed the line.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- A. whetherCorrect
- B. , whether
- C. ; whether
- D. : whether
Answer: A. whether
'whether the ball had fully crossed the line' is what the referee could not decide — the object of 'decide'. No punctuation separates a verb from its object.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. , whether
- A comma between 'decide' and what was to be decided is an error.
- C. ; whether
- A semicolon needs a complete clause on each side; the 'whether' clause is dependent.
- D. : whether
- A colon must follow a complete clause, and 'could not decide' is incomplete without its object.
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