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Difficulty: MediumSemicolons

Although the superb lyrebird is best known for its ability to mimic human sounds like chainsaws and car alarms, its natural song is equally complex. The male bird sings for hours during the breeding season to attract a mate, however, the female bird remains relatively quiet, focusing her energy on building a nest.

Which of the following choices best punctuates the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. mate; however, theAnswer
  3. C
    mate; however, because the
  4. D
    mate however, the

Answer

The correct option is the one that punctuates the transition with a semicolon before 'however' and a comma after it.
The correct option properly separates two independent clauses using a semicolon before the conjunctive adverb 'however' and a comma immediately following it.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the two clauses surrounding the underlined portion.
Clause 1 ('The male bird sings for hours during the breeding season to attract a mate') and Clause 2 ('the female bird remains relatively quiet, focusing her energy on building a nest') are both independent clauses.
Determining whether the clauses are independent or dependent dictates the punctuation needed to join them.
2
Evaluate the transition word 'however' connecting these clauses.
'However' is a conjunctive adverb used to transition between two independent clauses.
Conjunctive adverbs require a semicolon before them and a comma after them when linking two independent clauses.
3
Select the punctuation choice that correctly applies these rules.
The choice using a semicolon before 'however' and a comma after it is correct, while avoiding comma splices and fragment errors.
This is the only grammatically correct way to join these two independent clauses without creating a comma splice or run-on sentence.

Key Concept

Semicolons are used to link two independent clauses, especially when joined by a conjunctive adverb like 'however'.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Semicolons

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