16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsVery hardColon before a list of three noun phrases

Standard English Conventions practice question

The cottage came with everything the tenants ____ a woodstove, a well, and a view of the whole valley.

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

  1. A. needed:Correct
  2. B. needed,
  3. C. needed;
  4. D. needed such as

Answer: A. needed:

A complete clause introduces the list, so a colon follows it.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. needed,
A comma leaves the list dangling.
C. needed;
A semicolon does not introduce a list.
D. needed such as
'Such as' with no comma before it and a full list after is awkward; the colon is the standard mark.

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