Standard English ConventionsHardNo colon after an incomplete clause
Standard English Conventions practice question
The committee's recommendation was ____ postpone the vote until all members could attend.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- A. was: to
- B. was toCorrect
- C. was, to
- D. was; to
Answer: B. was to
A colon or semicolon can only follow a complete clause. 'The committee's recommendation was' is not complete — it's waiting for its complement — so the sentence must simply continue: 'was to postpone the vote'.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. was: to
- A colon introduces something after a COMPLETE clause. 'The committee's recommendation was' stops mid-thought, so a colon there cuts the verb off from what it needs.
- C. was, to
- There's no reason for a comma between a linking verb and its complement. 'was to postpone' is one continuous unit.
- D. was; to
- A semicolon needs a complete clause on each side. Neither 'The committee's recommendation was' nor 'to postpone the vote...' can stand alone.
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