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Question

Difficulty: HardEnd-of-Sentence Punctuation

Read the passage below. What is the single punctuation mark that must fill the blank to correctly end the first sentence?

Answer:The chief engineer asked whether the new geothermal plant would be operational by the start of the winter season【.】 They wanted to ensure that the local grid could handle the increased demand without relying on fossil fuels.

Answer

A period (.) is the correct punctuation mark to end the first sentence.
The correct punctuation is a period. The first sentence is a declarative statement containing an indirect question ('asked whether...'). Since it is not a direct question, a period is required to end the sentence, especially since the following word 'They' is capitalized and begins a new independent clause.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the structure of the clause preceding the blank.
The clause 'The chief engineer asked whether the new geothermal plant would be operational by the start of the winter season' is an independent clause containing an indirect question ('whether...').
Identifying the clause structure determines if it can stand alone as a sentence and what punctuation it requires.
2
Determine if the clause is a direct question or a declarative statement.
Because it reports a question rather than asking one directly, it is a declarative statement (an indirect question) and does not take a question mark.
Indirect questions are grammatically declarative and must end with a period.
3
Identify the boundary before the next capitalized word.
The word 'They' is capitalized, indicating the start of a new independent sentence. Therefore, a terminal end-of-sentence punctuation mark is required to separate the two complete sentences.
Proper end-of-sentence punctuation prevents run-on sentences and comma splices.

Key Concept

Indirect questions are declarative sentences and must end with a period rather than a question mark.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

End-of-Sentence Punctuation

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