16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsMediumSemicolon before 'otherwise'

Standard English Conventions practice question

The permit must be renewed by the end of ____ otherwise, the stall will lose its place in the market.

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

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

Answer: A. March;

'Otherwise' joining two independent clauses takes a semicolon before it and a comma after.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. March,
A comma before 'otherwise' between two clauses is a splice.
C. March
No punctuation is a run-on.
D. March, and
'And otherwise,' is not a standard joining.

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