Example: Short Passage

Short Passage

In 1942, factory workers engaged in a labor strike against textile manufacturers to denounce the exploitation of laborers. The three-year strike marked the inaugural use of numerous standard strike strategies including — boycotts, community mobilization, nonviolent opposition, and____ultimately culminating in a triumph for the factory workers.

Question

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

A) marches

B) marches-

C) marches;

D) marches,

Answer

D) marches,

Tip

Choice D is correct because it utilizes proper punctuation for listing items within a sentence. When listing items, it’s standard practice to separate them with commas. The final item in the list is often followed by a comma before the conjunction ("and" or "or") that precedes it. In this case, the final item, "marches," is followed by a comma before "ultimately culminating," which maintains the sentence’s grammatical structure. Choices A, B, and C need proper punctuation, which would result in sentence fragments or incorrect punctuation usage.