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Question

Difficulty: Very hardEnd-of-Sentence Punctuation

The passage below contains a blank at the end of the first sentence. Which punctuation mark best fills the blank to correctly punctuate the end of the first sentence?

Answer:The archivist wondered whether the fragile parchment, which had been sealed in a lead box for centuries, would crumble upon exposure to the air, and if so, how the museum could possibly hope to preserve the faded ink【.】 This dilemma kept her awake at night, prompting her to consult with conservation specialists from around the world.

Answer

A period (.)
The sentence is a declarative statement reporting what the archivist was wondering, which makes the clauses starting with 'whether' and 'how' indirect questions. Declarative sentences must end with a period.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the structure of the sentence containing the blank.
The sentence begins with the main clause 'The archivist wondered.'
This main clause introduces a statement reporting a thought or question, rather than asking a question directly.
2
Determine the nature of the subsequent clauses introduced by 'whether' and 'how'.
The clauses 'whether the fragile parchment... would crumble' and 'how the museum could... preserve the faded ink' are indirect questions acting as noun clauses.
Indirect questions report what someone asked or wondered and do not perform the speech act of asking a direct question.
3
Identify the appropriate end-of-sentence punctuation mark.
Since the sentence is a declarative statement containing indirect questions, it must end with a period.
Declarative sentences are always punctuated with a period, even if they contain embedded indirect questions.

Key Concept

Declarative sentences that contain indirect questions 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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