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Question

Difficulty: HardColons, Semicolons, and Dashes

Under the extreme pressure of the deep ocean, certain species of glass sponges construct highly stable skeletal lattices _______ structures made of interlocking silica spicules that can withstand immense physical forces without collapsing.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

  1. lattices—structuresAnswer
  2. B
    lattices; structures
  3. C
    lattices, they are structures
  4. D
    lattices: and structures

Answer

lattices—structures
The correct answer correctly uses a single dash to connect the preceding independent clause ('Under the extreme pressure of the deep ocean, certain species of glass sponges construct highly stable skeletal lattices') to the explanatory appositive phrase at the end of the sentence ('structures made of interlocking silica spicules...').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the clause structure before and after the blank.
The clause before the blank ('Under the extreme pressure... lattices') is an independent clause. The phrase after the blank ('structures made of... collapsing') is a noun phrase acting as an explanatory appositive, not an independent clause.
Identifying clause boundaries determines the appropriate punctuation marks that can link them.
2
Evaluate the punctuation choices based on grammatical conventions.
A single dash is appropriate to connect an independent clause to a trailing explanatory appositive. Semicolons and colons followed by coordinating conjunctions are incorrect because the second part is not an independent clause and the conjunction disrupts the grammatical flow, respectively. A comma followed by a subject-verb construction creates a comma splice.
Selecting the option that correctly applies the conventions of punctuation to connect the clauses.

Key Concept

Using a single dash to connect an independent clause to explanatory details or a summary appositive at the end of a sentence.
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Topics

Colons, Semicolons, and Dashes

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