16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsVery hardSemicolons when a series item contains a comma

Standard English Conventions practice question

Applicants must submit a résumé ____ two letters of recommendation, one of them from a supervisor; and a writing sample.

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

  1. A. résumé;Correct
  2. B. résumé,
  3. C. résumé:
  4. D. résumé —

Answer: A. résumé;

The second item, 'two letters of recommendation, one of them from a supervisor', contains a comma. When any item in a series does, semicolons separate the items — and the sentence already uses one before 'and a writing sample'.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. résumé,
A comma here would make the reader count 'one of them from a supervisor' as a separate item.
C. résumé:
A colon would introduce the list, but the list has already begun with 'a résumé'.
D. résumé —
A dash doesn't separate items in a series, and it doesn't match the semicolon used later.

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