Question azulej

3.1 Boundaries - Parenthetical punctuation: commas, dashes, parentheses
0:00

Azulejos, mosaics made of glazed ceramic tiles, can be found throughout Portugal. These mosaics beautify places such as blank stations, and public squares.  

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

A.

libraries train

B.

libraries: train

C.

libraries—train  

D.

libraries, train

Azulejos, mosaics made of glazed ceramic tiles, can be found throughout Portugal. These mosaics beautify places

Medium-difficulty · SAT Reading & Writing · Boundaries — Parenthetical punctuation: commas, dashes, parentheses. 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 the punctuation of items in a simple series. The comma after "libraries" is used conventionally to separate the first and second items ("libraries" and "train stations") in the series.

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to separate the first two items ("libraries" and "train stations") in the series. Choice B is incorrect because a colon can’t be used in this way to separate items in a simple series. Choice C is incorrect because a dash can’t be used in this way to separate items in a simple series.