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Zorluk: OrtaColons, Semicolons, and Dashes

Although the thick, sulfur-rich clouds of Venus completely obscure its surface from visible-light telescopes, scientists have successfully mapped the planet's complex topography. To bypass this atmospheric barrier, the Magellan spacecraft utilized synthetic aperture radar ______ a sophisticated technology that transmitted microwave pulses through the cloud layer and measured the reflected signals to construct highly detailed three-dimensional maps of the Venusian terrain.

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

  1. —aCevap
  2. B
    ; a
  3. C
    , it was a
  4. D
    a

Cevap

The choice containing a single dash followed by 'a' ('—a') is correct because it appropriately sets off the explanatory appositive phrase that describes 'synthetic aperture radar'.
The correct option uses a single dash to link the independent clause to the explanatory appositive noun phrase ('a sophisticated technology...'). A single dash is an acceptable punctuation mark to introduce explanatory details, lists, or summaries at the end of an independent clause.

Adım Adım Çözüm

1
Analyze the structure of the clause preceding the blank.
The clause 'To bypass this atmospheric barrier, the Magellan spacecraft utilized synthetic aperture radar' 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 preceding clause helps identify which punctuation marks (such as colons, semicolons, or dashes) are permitted.
2
Analyze the structure of the phrase following the blank.
The phrase starting with 'a sophisticated technology...' is a noun phrase (an appositive) that explains 'synthetic aperture radar'; it is not an independent clause.
Knowing whether the following phrase is an independent or dependent clause rules out punctuation marks that require independent clauses on both sides, such as semicolons.
3
Evaluate the punctuation choices based on grammatical rules.
A single dash is correct for connecting an independent clause to an explanatory noun phrase. A semicolon is incorrect because the second part is not an independent clause. A comma splice is created by inserting a subject and verb ('it was') after a comma, and omitting punctuation entirely creates a run-on.
Matching the structural requirements of the sentence to the conventions of Standard English identifies the correct option.

Anahtar Kavram

Using a single dash to set off explanatory details at the end of an independent clause, and distinguishing it from semicolon and comma splice errors.
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Konular

Colons, Semicolons, and Dashes

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