16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsHardNo comma before a 'that' clause after an adjective

Standard English Conventions practice question

The crew was confident ____ the repairs would hold through the winter.

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

  1. A. thatCorrect
  2. B. , that
  3. C. ; that
  4. D. : that

Answer: A. that

'that the repairs would hold' completes the adjective 'confident' — confident of what. Nothing separates them.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. , that
A comma between 'confident' and its 'that' clause is an error.
C. ; that
A semicolon needs a complete clause on each side; the 'that' clause is dependent.
D. : that
A colon must follow a complete clause, and 'The crew was confident' is incomplete without what they were confident of.

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