Question 115·Easy·Boundaries
When snow blankets the Sierra Nevada mountains in _____ melts gradually during spring and summer, feeding rivers that supply farms in California's Central Valley. Тhis question iѕ frоm Anікo
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For punctuation and boundary questions, first identify whether each chunk of the sentence before and after the punctuation is a dependent clause or an independent clause. Remember that introductory clauses starting with words like "when," "although," or "because" are usually followed by a comma before the main clause. Eliminate choices with punctuation (like semicolons or colons) that require a complete sentence before them when the first part is only a dependent clause, and also eliminate any option that fails to separate an introductory clause from the main clause with appropriate punctuation. Sourсе: aniко.аi
Hints
Find the two main parts of the sentence
Look at what comes before and after the blank. Where does the "when" idea end, and where does the main action begin?
Think about the subject of "melts"
Ask yourself: what is doing the melting in this sentence, and how should it be named right after the blank?
Consider punctuation after introductory clauses
The sentence starts with a clause beginning with "When." Think about what kind of punctuation usually separates such an introductory clause from the main clause that follows. A-n-і-к-о.аі
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the sentence structure
Read the sentence around the blank:
"When snow blankets the Sierra Nevada mountains in _____ melts gradually during spring and summer, feeding rivers…"
The word "When" at the beginning signals a dependent (introductory) clause: "When snow blankets the Sierra Nevada mountains in winter." After this introductory part, we expect the main clause of the sentence (the part that could stand alone as a sentence).
Decide what the main clause should say
Ask: What happens after the snow blankets the mountains in winter?
We need a main clause describing that event, something like "it melts gradually during spring and summer." This main clause needs a subject (what melts?) and a verb (melts). The subject here is a pronoun referring back to "snow."
Recall the punctuation rule for introductory clauses
In standard English, when a sentence begins with a dependent clause (often starting with words like "when," "although," "because," etc.), that clause is typically followed by a comma before the main clause.
So after "When snow blankets the Sierra Nevada mountains in winter" we expect a comma, then the main clause: "it melts gradually during spring and summer…"
Test each answer choice against the structure and rule
Place each option into the blank:
- "When snow blankets the Sierra Nevada mountains in winter it melts gradually…" (no comma after the introductory clause)
- "When snow blankets the Sierra Nevada mountains in winter, it melts gradually…" (comma separating intro clause from main clause)
- "When snow blankets the Sierra Nevada mountains in winter; it melts gradually…" (semicolon suggests two separate sentences)
- "When snow blankets the Sierra Nevada mountains in winter: it melts gradually…" (colon suggests an explanation or list after a complete sentence)
Only "winter, it" correctly uses a comma after the introductory "When" clause and provides the pronoun "it" as the subject of the main clause, so "winter, it" is the correct answer.