Question 10·Easy·Boundaries
The Central Artery/Tunnel Project, known as the “Big Dig,” dramatically reshaped traffic patterns in Boston. Completed in 2007, the project included the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge, an iconic structure ____ carries more than 200,000 vehicles each day.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For relative pronoun questions, first identify whether the clause after the blank is essential (restrictive) or extra (nonrestrictive). Essential clauses are usually not surrounded by commas and, in formal American English, are normally introduced with that, while nonessential clauses are set off by commas and are often introduced with which. Then check punctuation: never allow a comma directly between the subject and its verb. Use these two checks—essential vs. extra information and comma placement—to quickly eliminate wrong choices.
Hints
Look at the structure of the clause after the blank
Focus on the words right after the blank: carries more than 200,000 vehicles each day. What kind of word must go in the blank so that this part becomes a complete clause with a subject and a verb?
Think about whether the information is essential or extra
Ask yourself: Is the fact that the structure carries more than 200,000 vehicles each day just a side comment, or is it closely tied to describing the bridge?
Pay attention to commas
Two of the answer choices add a comma right after the word you insert. Would you ever place a comma directly between the subject of a clause and its verb?
Recall the that vs. which pattern on the SAT
For clauses that give essential information and are not set off by commas, which relative pronoun does the SAT typically prefer in formal American English?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what kind of word is missing
Look at the phrase around the blank: an iconic structure ____ carries more than 200,000 vehicles each day.
We already have a complete noun phrase, an iconic structure, and then a verb, carries. We need a connecting word that links the noun to the extra information and also acts as the subject of carries. That means we are looking for a relative pronoun such as which or that.
Decide if the clause is essential or extra (restrictive vs. nonrestrictive)
The clause ____ carries more than 200,000 vehicles each day tells us what this structure does. It is essential information describing the bridge, not just a side comment being tacked on.
On the SAT, essential (restrictive) clauses:
- are not set off by commas, and
- are normally introduced with
that, notwhich, in formal American English.
Use comma rules to eliminate choices with commas after the pronoun
Look at the choices with commas: which, and that,.
If you plug them in, you get:
an iconic structure which, carries ...an iconic structure that, carries ...
In both cases, there is a comma between the subject and the verb of the clause (which/that is the subject of carries). This is not allowed in standard English, so any option with a comma immediately after the pronoun is incorrect.
Choose the pronoun that matches both the meaning and punctuation
We have now eliminated the choices with commas after the pronoun, leaving only which and that.
Because the clause is essential information and is not set off by commas, the SAT expects the restrictive relative pronoun that fits this pattern: that.
So the completed sentence should read: ...the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge, an iconic structure that carries more than 200,000 vehicles each day.