Question as-bri
As British scientist Peter Whibberley has observed, “the Earth is not a very good timekeeper.” Earth’s slightly irregular rotation rate means that measurements of time must be periodically adjusted. Specifically, an extra “leap second” (the 86,401st second of the day) is blank time based on the planet’s rotation lags a full nine-tenths of a second behind time kept by precise atomic clocks.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
added, whenever
added; whenever
added. Whenever
added whenever
As British scientist Peter Whibberley has observed, “the Earth is not a very good timekeeper.” Earth’s
Hard-difficulty · SAT Reading & Writing · Boundaries — Coordination vs subordination for clarity. Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.
Answer explanation
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a verb and a preposition. When, as in this case, a verb (“is added”) is immediately followed by a preposition (“whenever”), no punctuation is needed.
Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the verb and the preposition. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the verb and the preposition. Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the verb and the preposition.
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