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Difficulty: Very hardClause Boundaries and Linking

Historians studying the Bronze Age transition in the Aegean have long debated the primary drivers of technological diffusion. Some scholars argue that localized resource scarcity compelled metallurgists to establish trade routes with Central Asia _______ others assert that domestic innovations in recycling and alloy compounding minimized reliance on distant copper and tin deposits.

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

  1. A
    Asia
  2. Asia;Answer
  3. C
    Asia,
  4. D
    Asia; whereas

Answer

The choice ending with a semicolon ('Asia;') is correct because it properly separates two independent clauses.
The passage contains two independent clauses: the first outlines one theory about Bronze Age technological diffusion (localized resource scarcity driving trade), and the second outlines an alternative theory (domestic innovation minimizing reliance on distant resources). To link two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction, standard English conventions require a semicolon or a period. The correct option correctly uses a semicolon ('Asia;') to establish a proper clause boundary.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the clauses surrounding the blank to determine if they are independent or dependent.
The first clause ('Some scholars argue that localized resource scarcity compelled metallurgists to establish trade routes with Central Asia') and the second clause ('others assert that domestic innovations in recycling and alloy compounding minimized reliance on distant copper and tin deposits') are both independent because they each contain a subject and a verb and can stand alone as complete sentences.
Identifying clause types determines what punctuation or conjunctions are grammatically permissible to link them.
2
Recall the rules for joining two independent clauses.
Two independent clauses must be joined by a period, a semicolon, or a coordinating conjunction (such as 'and', 'but', or 'yet') preceded by a comma.
Joining independent clauses without these conventions results in run-on sentences or comma splices.
3
Evaluate the choices based on these rules.
The choice with only a semicolon ('Asia;') correctly joins the independent clauses. The choice with no punctuation ('Asia') creates a run-on. The choice with only a comma ('Asia,') creates a comma splice. The choice with a semicolon followed by 'whereas' ('Asia; whereas') is incorrect because the subordinator 'whereas' makes the second clause dependent, which cannot follow a semicolon.
Selecting the option that establishes a grammatically correct boundary between the clauses ensures Standard English conformity.

Key Concept

Clause Boundaries and Linking
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Topics

Clause Boundaries and Linking

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