Question

Difficulty: MediumEnd-of-Sentence Punctuation

Read the passage below about the construction of the Florence Cathedral. What punctuation mark should be placed in the blank to grammatically complete the second sentence?

Answer:Filippo Brunelleschi faced a daunting challenge when he was commissioned to build the dome of the Florence Cathedral. Many citizens wondered how the architect could construct such a massive structure without wooden scaffolding【.】 He ultimately succeeded by using an innovative herringbone brick-laying pattern. This technique distributed the weight outward rather than downward.

Answer

A period (.) is the correct punctuation mark to end the sentence.
The sentence containing the blank is an indirect question, which functions grammatically as a declarative statement. Consequently, it must end with a period. A question mark would be incorrect because the sentence does not ask a direct question.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence containing the blank to determine its grammatical structure.
The sentence begins with 'Many citizens wondered how...', which introduces an indirect question.
This step determines whether the sentence is a direct question requiring a question mark or a statement requiring a period.
2
Determine the correct punctuation mark for the sentence boundary.
Since indirect questions function as declarative statements, they must end with a period rather than a question mark.
An indirect question does not take a question mark because it reports a question rather than asking it directly.

Key Concept

Indirect questions are grammatically declarative sentences and must end with a period rather than a question mark.
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