16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsEasy–MediumSemicolon before 'in fact'

Standard English Conventions practice question

The old map is not ____ in fact, it shows two streams that no longer exist.

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

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

Answer: A. reliable;

'In fact' joining two independent clauses takes a semicolon before it and a comma after.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. reliable,
A comma before 'in fact' between two clauses is a splice.
C. reliable
No punctuation is a run-on.
D. reliable, and,
A stray comma after 'and'.

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