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Difficulty: EasyColons, Semicolons, and Dashes

In the harsh environment of the Sahara Desert, the silver ant (*Cataglyphis bombycina*) utilizes unique physiological adaptations to forage during the hottest parts of the day. One such adaptation is its dense coating of triangular hairs_______ these hairs reflect visible and near-infrared light, keeping the ant's body cool.

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

  1. A
    hairs, these
  2. B
    hairs these
  3. hairs; theseAnswer
  4. D
    hairs; which

Answer

The choice containing a semicolon followed by the pronoun 'these' correctly links the two independent clauses.
The correct option correctly uses a semicolon to separate two independent clauses. The clause preceding the blank ('One such adaptation is its dense coating of triangular hairs') and the clause following the blank ('these hairs reflect visible and near-infrared light, keeping the ant's body cool') are both independent, meaning they can stand alone as complete sentences. A semicolon is a standard and appropriate way to link them without a coordinating conjunction.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the structure of the clause preceding the blank.
'One such adaptation is its dense coating of triangular hairs' is an independent clause because it contains a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a sentence.
Determining the grammatical status of the first clause helps establish what punctuation is permitted.
2
Identify the structure of the clause following the blank.
'these hairs reflect visible and near-infrared light, keeping the ant's body cool' is also an independent clause.
Knowing that both clauses are independent means they must be separated by a terminal punctuation mark, a semicolon, or a comma with a coordinating conjunction.
3
Select the punctuation that correctly links two independent clauses.
A semicolon appropriately joins two independent clauses without any coordinating conjunction.
Applying standard punctuation rules resolves clause boundary requirements.

Key Concept

Semicolon usage to link independent clauses
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Colons, Semicolons, and Dashes

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