16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsEasy–MediumPeriod before a sentence beginning with 'Then'

Standard English Conventions practice question

The dough is left to rise for an hour ____ it is shaped into loaves and baked.

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

  1. A. . ThenCorrect
  2. B. , then
  3. C. then
  4. D. , then,

Answer: A. . Then

'The dough is left to rise for an hour' and 'Then it is shaped into loaves' are complete sentences; 'then' can't join them on its own.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. , then
A comma plus 'then' between two complete sentences is a splice.
C. then
With no punctuation, the sentences run together.
D. , then,
Still a splice, with an extra comma.

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