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Question

Difficulty: HardColons, Semicolons, and Dashes

During the Middle Ages, master builders of Gothic cathedrals developed a structural innovation that allowed for unprecedented height and light _______ the flying buttress, which redirected the massive lateral forces of the stone vaults away from the walls and down to external supports. This engineering feat enabled the construction of soaring nave walls dominated by expansive stained-glass windows.

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

  1. A
    innovation, this was
  2. innovation:Answer
  3. C
    innovation;
  4. D
    innovation was

Answer

The choice ending with a colon correctly introduces the explanatory appositive phrase that describes the structural innovation.
The correct choice properly uses a colon to link an independent clause ('During the Middle Ages... innovation that allowed for unprecedented height and light') to an explanatory appositive noun phrase ('the flying buttress...'). A colon must follow an independent clause and can introduce an appositive that clarifies or defines a term in the first clause.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the clause preceding the blank.
The clause 'During the Middle Ages, master builders of Gothic cathedrals developed a structural innovation that allowed for unprecedented height and light' is an independent clause.
Identifying if the preceding clause is independent is necessary because colons must be preceded by a grammatically complete sentence.
2
Analyze the phrase following the blank.
The phrase 'the flying buttress, which redirected the massive lateral forces of the stone vaults away from the walls and down to external supports' is a noun phrase functioning as an appositive.
Knowing that the subsequent phrase is a noun phrase (and not an independent clause) rules out the use of a semicolon.
3
Select the appropriate punctuation to link the independent clause to the appositive.
A colon is the correct punctuation mark to introduce an explanation, definition, or appositive after an independent clause.
Using a colon satisfies the syntactic constraints of the sentence while providing the correct logical link.

Key Concept

A colon must be preceded by an independent clause and can be used to introduce an explanation or appositive. A semicolon must separate two independent clauses.
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Topics

Colons, Semicolons, and Dashes

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