Standard English ConventionsVery hardNo comma before a conjunction in a compound predicate
Standard English Conventions practice question
The planning committee debated the proposal for six ____ reached no decision.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- A. hours butCorrect
- B. hours, but
- C. hours; but
- D. hours, and it
Answer: A. hours but
"debated … but reached" is one subject with two verbs, so no comma goes before "but".
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. hours, but
- A comma before "but" is for joining two independent clauses; "reached no decision" has no subject of its own.
- C. hours; but
- A semicolon needs an independent clause after it.
- D. hours, and it
- "and it reached no decision" changes the meaning and drops the contrast.
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