Standard English ConventionsEasy–MediumComma after an introductory dependent clause
Standard English Conventions practice question
After the panel had reviewed all two hundred applications ____ it selected six finalists.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- A. applications, itCorrect
- B. applications; it
- C. applications it
- D. applications: it
Answer: A. applications, it
'After the panel had reviewed all two hundred applications' is a dependent clause — it begins with 'after' and can't stand alone. When such a clause opens a sentence, a comma separates it from the main clause.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. applications; it
- A semicolon needs a complete clause on each side, and 'After the panel had reviewed...' is dependent, not complete.
- C. applications it
- A long introductory clause needs a comma before the main clause begins; without it the reader can't find where the setup ends and the point starts.
- D. applications: it
- A colon introduces something after a COMPLETE clause. The introductory clause here is dependent, so it can't be followed by a colon.
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Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
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