Examkin

Question

Difficulty: Very hardSemicolons

The restoration of the ancient Roman aqueduct has sparked intense debate among architectural historians; the primary source of contention is the controversial materials used to reinforce the arches.

Which option best punctuates the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. NO CHANGEAnswer
  2. B
    historians, the primary source of contention is
  3. C
    historians; the primary source of contention being
  4. D
    historians, but the primary source of contention being

Answer

The correct option correctly uses a semicolon to join the two independent clauses, keeping the finite verb 'is' in the second clause.
The correct option correctly uses a semicolon to separate two independent clauses. The first clause, 'The restoration of the ancient Roman aqueduct has sparked intense debate among architectural historians,' and the second clause, 'the primary source of contention is the controversial materials used to reinforce the arches,' are both independent clauses capable of standing alone as complete sentences. A semicolon is the proper punctuation to join them without a coordinating conjunction.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the clause structure before the punctuation mark.
The clause 'The restoration of the ancient Roman aqueduct has sparked intense debate among architectural historians' is an independent clause because it contains a subject ('restoration') and a finite verb ('has sparked') and can stand alone as a complete sentence.
To determine the correct punctuation, you must first analyze the grammatical status of the preceding clause.
2
Analyze the grammatical structure of the clause following the punctuation mark for each option.
In the correct version, the clause 'the primary source of contention is the controversial materials used to reinforce the arches' contains a subject ('source') and a finite verb ('is'), making it an independent clause. In the version with 'being', the phrase lacks a finite verb, making it a fragment.
A semicolon can only join two independent clauses. If the second clause is a fragment, a semicolon cannot be used.
3
Evaluate the punctuation options to avoid comma splices or fragments.
Joining the two independent clauses with only a comma creates an ungrammatical comma splice. Joining them with a semicolon is correct.
Independent clauses must be joined by a semicolon, a period, or a comma accompanied by a coordinating conjunction.

Key Concept

Semicolons
Rate this question

Topics

Semicolons

More questions from this topic