16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsVery hardOpening dash matching a closing dash

Standard English Conventions practice question

Three ____ Lyon, Dijon, and Reims — lie on the route.

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

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

Answer: A. cities —

The list is closed by a dash, so it must be opened by a dash.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. cities:
A colon cannot pair with a closing dash.
C. cities,
A comma opening and a dash closing are mismatched, and the commas inside the list would confuse.
D. cities;
A semicolon does not open a list.

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