16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsVery hardColon introducing a list after a complete clause

Standard English Conventions practice question

Three things kept the lighthouse keeper ____ the log, the lamp, and the loneliness.

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

  1. A. busy:Correct
  2. B. busy;
  3. C. busy,
  4. D. busy, they were

Answer: A. busy:

A complete clause followed by a list that explains it takes a colon.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. busy;
A semicolon needs an independent clause after it; a list is not one.
C. busy,
A comma leaves the list dangling as a vague appositive.
D. busy, they were
"busy, they were the log" is a comma splice.

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