16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsVery hardColon versus dash before a summarising word

Standard English Conventions practice question

Rain, wind, fog, and a landslide across the only road — the expedition's first week had ____ everything.

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

  1. A. broughtCorrect
  2. B. brought:
  3. C. brought;
  4. D. brought,

Answer: A. brought

'Had brought everything' is a simple verb and object; no punctuation goes between them.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. brought:
A colon between a verb and its object is an error.
C. brought;
A semicolon can't sit between a verb and its object.
D. brought,
A comma between verb and object is an error.

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