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Question

Difficulty: MediumColons, Semicolons, and Dashes

In 1948, physicist Richard Feynman introduced his namesake diagrams, which visually represented the complex mathematical expressions governing subatomic particle behavior. Initially met with skepticism by some traditionalists who favored algebraic formulas, these intuitive drawings ultimately revolutionized theoretical physics ______ they allowed researchers to bypass tedious calculations and directly visualize quantum interactions.

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

  1. A
    physics, they
  2. B
    physics; allowing
  3. physics; theyAnswer
  4. D
    physics they

Answer

physics; they
The correct answer is the option that ends with a semicolon followed by 'they'. The transition from the first part of the sentence to the second part requires a punctuation mark that can link two independent clauses. A semicolon is the correct choice because both the statement before the blank and the statement after the blank function as grammatically complete, independent sentences.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the clauses surrounding the blank space.
The clause before the blank ('Initially met with skepticism by some traditionalists who favored algebraic formulas, these intuitive drawings ultimately revolutionized theoretical physics') is independent. The clause after the blank ('they allowed researchers to bypass tedious calculations and directly visualize quantum interactions') is also independent.
Determining the grammatical status of the clauses is necessary to choose the correct punctuation mark.
2
Select the punctuation that correctly links two independent clauses.
A semicolon is appropriate to link two closely related independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.
Standard English conventions require a semicolon, colon, dash, or period with a coordinating conjunction to connect two independent clauses.

Key Concept

Semicolons are used to link two grammatically independent clauses that are closely related in thought.
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Topics

Colons, Semicolons, and Dashes

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