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Question

Difficulty: MediumSemicolons

Multispectral imaging has revealed hidden text on the charred Herculaneum papyri, indeed, researchers can now read passages that were previously thought to be lost forever.

Which choice best punctuates the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. papyri; indeed, researchersAnswer
  3. C
    papyri; because indeed, researchers
  4. D
    papyri. Indeed, because researchers

Answer

The correct choice is the option that reads 'papyri; indeed, researchers'.
The option 'papyri; indeed, researchers' is correct because it properly connects two independent clauses using a semicolon before the conjunctive adverb 'indeed' and a comma immediately following it.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the grammatical structure of the clauses flanking the underlined portion.
The clause before the underlined portion ('Multispectral imaging has revealed hidden text on the charred Herculaneum papyri') and the clause after ('researchers can now read passages that were previously thought to be lost forever') are both independent clauses.
Identifying independent clauses is necessary because it dictates the type of punctuation required to join them.
2
Determine the role of the word 'indeed'.
'Indeed' is a conjunctive adverb used to introduce a statement that confirms or supports the previous statement.
Conjunctive adverbs require a semicolon before them and a comma after them when joining two independent clauses.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that correctly links these two clauses.
The option containing a semicolon before 'indeed' and a comma after it correctly punctuates the transition between the two independent clauses without creating a comma splice or fragment.
Eliminating options with comma splices, incorrect semicolon placement with dependent clauses, or fragments leads to the grammatically correct choice.

Key Concept

Semicolons
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Semicolons

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