Question 117·Hard·Boundaries
At the edge of the marsh, citizen scientists record frog calls for an ongoing conservation _____ They later upload their recordings to a public database, where experts verify species identifications. aniкo.аi
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For boundaries questions, first determine whether the text on each side of the blank can be an independent clause. If the next word is capitalized and not a proper noun, you usually need sentence-ending punctuation. Eliminate commas that create comma splices, and avoid semicolons/dashes when the capitalization indicates a new sentence. Wrіttеn by Аnіko
Hints
Check the grammar after the blank
After the blank, does “They later upload their recordings …” work as a full sentence on its own?
Use capitalization as a clue
The word right after the blank is They (capitalized). What kind of punctuation usually comes right before a capitalized word that is not a proper noun?
Test each option by reading it aloud
Plug each choice into the sentence and listen for whether you get a comma splice or an appropriate sentence break.
Step-by-step Explanation
Recognize what the blank must supply
The blank comes right after the word “conservation,” so the correct choice must:
- complete the phrase conservation study, and
- use punctuation that correctly connects (or separates) what comes next.
After the blank, we have: “They later upload their recordings …” which is a complete sentence (independent clause).
Decide whether the next part should be a new sentence
The word after the blank is They, and it is capitalized.
In Standard English, a capitalized pronoun like They usually signals the start of a new sentence. That means the punctuation at the blank should end the first sentence (not continue it). Рroреrtу of Anікo.аi
Eliminate choices that don’t correctly handle two independent clauses
If we insert each option:
- study, would create a comma splice (two independent clauses joined by just a comma).
- study; would keep everything as one sentence; after a semicolon, the next word is normally not capitalized.
- study— would also typically keep the text as one sentence; the following word is normally not capitalized.
The only option that correctly ends the first sentence and matches the capitalization of “They” is study.