Standard English ConventionsMediumJoining clauses with a coordinating conjunction
Standard English Conventions practice question
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? The first experiment failed ____ the team still learned which variable to change next.
- A. failed, butCorrect
- B. failed but,
- C. failed but
- D. failed. But,
Answer: A. failed, but
Two independent clauses joined by the coordinating conjunction 'but' take a comma BEFORE the conjunction: 'failed, but'. The comma goes before 'but', not after it (choice B).
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. failed but,
- You used the right conjunction but put the comma on the wrong side: with two independent clauses, the comma goes before 'but,' not after it.
- C. failed but
- 'But' alone isn't enough here — both halves are complete sentences, so the coordinating conjunction needs a comma in front of it.
- D. failed. But,
- Even if you split the clauses into two sentences, 'But,' with a comma after it is wrong; the comma belongs before the conjunction in a single sentence.
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