Question 103·Easy·Boundaries
As the storm approached, the clouds on the ____ grew darker and heavier.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For punctuation questions like this, first strip away any introductory phrases and identify the main subject and verb. Check if the word before the punctuation plus what follows each choice forms a complete sentence; remember that colons and dashes usually require a complete clause before them, and commas, dashes, and colons almost never belong directly between a subject and its verb in a simple sentence. Quickly discard any choices that break the subject–verb connection or misuse punctuation, and choose the simplest option that keeps the sentence grammatical and clear.
Hints
Locate the subject and verb
Ignore the introductory phrase "As the storm approached" and focus on the main clause. What is the subject of the sentence, and what is the verb? Where does the blank fall in that structure?
Think about natural pauses
Read the sentence aloud with the plain word in the blank: "the clouds on the ____ grew darker and heavier." Do you naturally pause after that word before saying "grew"?
Match punctuation to its job
Ask yourself: Is there a complete sentence before the blank? Is there extra or interrupting information that needs to be set off? Which, if any, of the punctuation marks offered is normally used directly between a subject and its verb?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the sentence structure
Rewrite the sentence with the blank marked:
As the storm approached, the clouds on the ____ grew darker and heavier.
The phrase "As the storm approached" is an introductory dependent clause. The main clause is:
the clouds on the ____ grew darker and heavier
In this main clause:
- The subject is "the clouds on the ____".
- The verb is "grew".
So the blank is inside the subject, right before the verb.
Decide if punctuation is needed between subject and verb
Now look at what comes immediately after the blank: the verb "grew".
In standard English, we do not place punctuation between a subject and its verb unless there is some extra, interrupting information (like a nonessential phrase) in between.
Check each type of punctuation offered:
- A comma usually separates items in a list or clauses, not a simple subject from its verb.
- A dash is used for a strong break in thought or to set off extra information.
- A colon must follow a complete sentence and then introduce an explanation, list, or example.
Here, "the clouds on the ____" is not a complete sentence yet, because there is no verb. So punctuation right after it would be incorrect.
Choose the only option that fits standard punctuation rules
Because the blank is part of the subject and comes immediately before the verb "grew," we should not add a comma, dash, or colon there. We just need the noun by itself.
The only choice that gives the noun with no punctuation after it is B) horizon.
So the correct answer is horizon.