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Question

Difficulty: EasyColons

During his expedition to the Antarctic, the explorer packed only the absolute essentials: a thermal tent, a sleeping bag, and a portable stove.

Which of the following options correctly punctuates the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. essentials: a thermalAnswer
  2. B
    essentials, including: a thermal
  3. C
    essentials; a thermal
  4. D
    essentials, they were a thermal

Answer

essentials: a thermal
The correct option uses a colon to separate a complete sentence (independent clause) from a list that describes the essentials. This matches the standard rules of colon usage.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the clause preceding the punctuation mark.
The preceding clause is 'During his expedition to the Antarctic, the explorer packed only the absolute essentials'.
This clause contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought, meaning it is an independent clause.
2
Determine the grammatical role of the text following the punctuation mark.
The text 'a thermal tent, a sleeping bag, and a portable stove' is a list of items describing the essentials.
Since the preceding clause is independent and is followed by a list, a colon is the correct punctuation to introduce it.

Key Concept

A colon must be preceded by an independent clause (a complete sentence) when used to introduce a list, explanation, or elaboration.
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Colons

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