Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumCommas with Lists, Clauses, and Coordinate Adjectives

Which choice for the underlined portion best conforms to the conventions of standard written English?

Architects designed the museum's new wing using durable sustainable materials, but city officials delayed construction until environmental impact assessments were completed.

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. durable, sustainable materials, butAnswer
  3. C
    durable, sustainable materials but
  4. D
    durable, sustainable, materials, but

Answer

The correct option is 'durable, sustainable materials, but' because a comma is required between coordinate adjectives, and a comma must precede a coordinating conjunction that joins two independent clauses.
The correct choice properly places a comma between the coordinate adjectives 'durable' and 'sustainable' (since both modify 'materials' equally) and includes a comma before the coordinating conjunction 'but' because it links two complete independent clauses.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify coordinate adjectives modifying the noun 'materials'.
The adjectives 'durable' and 'sustainable' independently modify 'materials'. You can test this by placing 'and' between them ('durable and sustainable') or reversing their order ('sustainable, durable'). Since both tests pass, they are coordinate adjectives and require a separating comma: 'durable, sustainable materials'.
Coordinate adjectives that modify the same noun in equal measure must be separated by a comma.
2
Analyze the clause structure before and after the conjunction 'but'.
'Architects designed the museum's new wing using durable, sustainable materials' is an independent clause. 'City officials delayed construction until environmental impact assessments were completed' is also an independent clause.
When a coordinating conjunction (such as 'but') joins two independent clauses, a comma must precede the conjunction.
3
Combine both punctuation rules to select the correct choice.
The correct phrasing is 'durable, sustainable materials, but'.
This correctly handles both coordinate adjectives and clause boundary punctuation.

Key Concept

Commas with Coordinate Adjectives and Independent Clauses
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Rate this question

Topics

Commas with Lists, Clauses, and Coordinate Adjectives

More questions from this topic