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Question

Difficulty: MediumSemicolons

Identify the single punctuation mark that should replace the blank to correctly join the two independent clauses in the sentence below.

Answer:Geothermal power plants harness the Earth's internal heat to generate clean electricity【;】 nevertheless, their installation requires significant upfront capital investment.

Answer

A semicolon (;) is the correct punctuation mark.
A semicolon (;) is the correct punctuation mark because it connects two closely related independent clauses joined by the conjunctive adverb 'nevertheless'. Since 'nevertheless' starts with a lowercase letter, a period is grammatically incorrect, and a comma would create a comma splice.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the structure of the clauses surrounding the blank.
The clause before the blank ('Geothermal power plants harness the Earth's internal heat to generate clean electricity') and the clause after the blank ('nevertheless, their installation requires significant upfront capital investment') are both independent clauses.
Understanding clause boundaries is essential for choosing the correct punctuation.
2
Identify the transition word.
The word 'nevertheless' is a conjunctive adverb.
Conjunctive adverbs require a semicolon (or a period and capitalization) when linking two independent clauses.
3
Select the correct punctuation mark.
A semicolon must be used. Since 'nevertheless' is lowercase, a period cannot be used. A comma would result in a comma splice.
A semicolon successfully connects independent clauses joined by transitional adverbs without creating a run-on sentence or a comma splice.

Key Concept

Semicolons with conjunctive adverbs
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Topics

Semicolons

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