Question 105·Hard·Boundaries
The Paleolithic lion figurine found in Germany’s Hohlenstein-Stadel Cave is carved from mammoth ivory; it predates all other known examples of portable art by more than 5,000 ____ testament to the sophistication of symbolic expression during the Upper Paleolithic.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
First, determine whether the words before the blank form an independent clause. Next, identify whether what follows is another independent clause or a dependent modifier (like a participial phrase starting with “-ing”). Use a comma to set off nonessential modifiers; use a semicolon only to join two independent clauses; avoid periods that leave a fragment behind.
Hints
Check completeness
Ask whether the text before the blank can stand alone as a complete sentence.
Look at the first word after the blank
The next word is “serving,” a participle—this usually signals a modifier, not a new independent clause.
Match punctuation to a nonessential modifier
Nonessential participial phrases that comment on a complete clause are typically set off with a comma.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the clause before the blank
Up to the blank, the sentence forms a complete independent clause: “it predates all other known examples of portable art by more than 5,000 years.”
Classify what comes after the blank
The words “serving as a testament …” form a present-participial phrase that adds extra (nonessential) information about the entire preceding clause.
Choose punctuation that matches the structure
A nonessential participial phrase that modifies an independent clause is typically set off with a comma. A semicolon requires another independent clause, and a period would incorrectly turn the participial phrase into a fragment. With no punctuation, the modifier attaches awkwardly and does not follow standard sentence-boundary conventions.
Insert the best choice
Use a comma to introduce the nonessential participial phrase: “years, serving as a”.