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Question

Difficulty: HardColons

To successfully harvest natural vanilla, farmers must execute a tedious task, they must hand-pollinate each orchid blossom during a narrow morning window.

Which choice most effectively punctuates the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    task, that requires: hand-pollinating
  3. task: they must hand-pollinateAnswer
  4. D
    task, that requires hand-pollinating

Answer

The option using a colon to introduce the explanation of the task is the correct choice.
The correct option uses a colon to separate two independent clauses. The clause preceding the colon is independent and can stand alone as a complete sentence, and the clause following the colon directly explains and defines the 'tedious task' mentioned in the first clause.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the grammatical structure of the clause preceding the punctuation.
The clause 'To successfully harvest natural vanilla, farmers must execute a tedious task' is an independent clause because it contains a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a complete sentence.
A colon must always be preceded by a complete independent clause.
2
Analyze the relationship between the first clause and the following clause.
The clause 'they must hand-pollinate each orchid blossom during a narrow morning window' is also independent and directly explains or defines the 'tedious task' mentioned in the first clause.
A colon is appropriate for joining two independent clauses when the second clause explains, illustrates, or expands on the first.
3
Evaluate the incorrect options to identify their grammatical errors.
Using a comma alone creates a comma splice. A colon placed after 'requires' follows a verb rather than a complete clause. A comma before 'that' improperly sets off a restrictive clause.
Eliminating grammatically incorrect options confirms the correct punctuation choice.

Key Concept

Using colons to connect independent clauses or introduce explanations
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Colons

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