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

Standard English Conventions practice question

The dig was scheduled to end in ____ however, the discovery of a second wall extended it by a month.

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

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

Answer: A. August;

'However' joining two independent clauses takes a semicolon before it (a period would also work) and a comma after.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. August,
A comma before 'however' is a splice.
C. August
No punctuation is a run-on.
D. August, and
'And however,' is not standard.

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