16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsVery hardSemicolons in a list of pairs

Standard English Conventions practice question

The medals went to Ana Ruiz, for ____ Ben Ali, for sculpture; and Cara Fox, for print.

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

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

Answer: A. painting;

Because each item contains a comma, the items are separated by semicolons.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. painting,
A comma would blur the first two items together.
C. painting
No separator.
D. painting:
A colon does not separate list items.

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