16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsVery hardColon after a complete clause introducing a single item

Standard English Conventions practice question

After months of searching, the archivists found what they had been looking ____ a single letter, misfiled under the wrong year.

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

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

Answer: A. for:

The clause before the blank is complete, and what follows names the thing found: a colon introduces it.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. for;
A semicolon needs an independent clause after it; 'a single letter…' is a noun phrase.
C. for,
A comma leaves the noun phrase dangling with no clear relation to the clause.
D. for
No punctuation runs the clause into the noun phrase.

More Standard English Conventions questions

Not affiliated with the College Board. SAT is a trademark of the College Board.