Question

Difficulty: EasyEnd-of-Sentence Punctuation

The passage below ends with an inquiry about a pioneering historical figure. Which punctuation mark must be placed in the blank to grammatically and rhetorically complete the final sentence?

Answer:Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States. She faced immense discrimination throughout her studies, yet she graduated at the top of her class in 1849. How did she manage to overcome such significant obstacles to achieve her dream【?】

Answer

A question mark (?) is the correct punctuation mark to end the sentence.
The sentence is a direct question asking how something was accomplished. Therefore, it requires a question mark at its end.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the structure and meaning of the sentence containing the blank.
The sentence begins with the interrogative word 'How' ('How did she manage...') and asks a direct question.
Identifying the clause type is necessary to determine the correct end-of-sentence punctuation.
2
Determine the correct punctuation mark.
Because this is a direct question, it must end with a question mark.
Standard English conventions dictate that a question mark terminates direct inquiries.

Key Concept

End-of-Sentence Punctuation
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