Question in-195

3.1 Boundaries - Parenthetical punctuation: commas, dashes, parentheses
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In 1955, Pakistani Bengali filmmaker Satyajit Ray released his first movie, Pather blank quiet black-and-white drama about a family in rural Pakistan, Ray’s film was quite different from the loud, colorful action-romance movies that were popular at the time.

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

A.

Panchali a

B.

Panchali, which was a

C.

Panchali, a

D.

Panchali. A

In 1955, Pakistani Bengali filmmaker Satyajit Ray released his first movie, Pather ______ blank quiet black-and-white

Hard-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 punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence ("In…Panchali") and another ("A quiet…time"). The phrase beginning with "a quiet" modifies the subject of the next sentence, "Ray’s film."

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences.