16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsVery hardDashes around an interruption

Standard English Conventions practice question

The recipe's one unusual ingredient — a spoonful of ____ is what gives the stew its depth.

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

  1. A. fish sauce —Correct
  2. B. fish sauce,
  3. C. fish sauce;
  4. D. fish sauce

Answer: A. fish sauce —

The interruption opens with a dash, so it must close with a dash.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. fish sauce,
A comma can't close what a dash opened.
C. fish sauce;
A semicolon can't close an interruption.
D. fish sauce
With no closing mark, the interruption swallows the rest of the sentence.

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