Question recent
Recently unearthed Neronian tools in France dating to 54,000 years ago and attributed to Homo sapiens may provide evidence that interactions between Neanderthals and modern humans occurred 10,000 years earlier than was previously blank finding that, if true, would overturn current theories about H. sapiens migration during the Upper Paleolithic.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
supposed; a
supposed. A
supposed a
supposed, a
Recently unearthed Neronian tools in France dating to 54,000 years ago and attributed to Homo sapiens
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 the use of punctuation within a sentence. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause ("Recently...supposed") and the supplementary element ("a finding...Paleolithic") that provides additional information about the impliions of the Neronian tool discovery.
Choice A is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the main clause ("Recently...supposed") and the supplementary element ("a finding...Paleolithic"). Choice B is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with "a finding." Choice C is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The main clause ("Recently...supposed") and the supplementary element ("a finding...Paleolithic") are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.
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