16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsVery hardColon after 'as follows'

Standard English Conventions practice question

The procedure for making the oil is as follows ____ dry the seeds, remove the hulls, press the kernels and filter the oil.

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

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

Answer: A. :

'The procedure ... is as follows' is a complete clause that announces a list; a colon introduces it.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. ;
A semicolon needs a complete clause on each side; the list of steps isn't one.
C. ,
A comma is too weak to introduce a list after 'as follows'.
D. .
A period would leave 'as follows' pointing at nothing.

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