16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsVery hardComma before a participial phrase that modifies the whole clause

Standard English Conventions practice question

The river rose two metres ____ the lower town for a week.

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

  1. A. overnight, floodingCorrect
  2. B. overnight flooding
  3. C. overnight; flooding
  4. D. overnight. Flooding

Answer: A. overnight, flooding

The participial phrase describing the result is set off by a comma.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. overnight flooding
Without the comma, "overnight flooding" reads as a noun phrase.
C. overnight; flooding
A semicolon needs a complete sentence after it.
D. overnight. Flooding
"Flooding the lower town for a week" is a fragment.

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