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Question

Difficulty: EasyCommas with Lists, Clauses, and Coordinate Adjectives

The software engineer ran the automated diagnostic tests multiple times, she could not identify the source of the memory leak. Which choice best punctuates the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. times, but she could not identifyAnswer
  3. C
    times; but she could not identify
  4. D
    times but, she could not identify

Answer

times, but she could not identify
The correct option correctly joins the two independent clauses using a comma followed by the coordinating conjunction 'but'. This follows standard English grammar rules for connecting independent clauses.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the structure of the two clauses being connected.
The clause before the underlined portion ('The software engineer ran the automated diagnostic tests multiple times') and the clause after ('she could not identify the source of the memory leak') are both independent clauses.
Knowing the clause types helps determine the correct punctuation needed to join them.
2
Evaluate the standard ways to connect two independent clauses.
Two independent clauses can be joined by a semicolon, or by a comma followed by a coordinating conjunction (such as 'but').
This rules out options that cause comma splices or run-on errors.
3
Select the option that correctly implements one of these standard rules without adding unnecessary commas.
The option containing a comma followed by the coordinating conjunction 'but' correctly connects the clauses.
It maintains standard grammatical structure and resolves the comma splice.

Key Concept

Connecting two independent clauses requires a semicolon or a comma combined with a coordinating conjunction.
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Topics

Commas with Lists, Clauses, and Coordinate Adjectives

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