Question 120·Hard·Boundaries
In her groundbreaking paper, linguist Maya Alonso discussed two dialects of the Basque language as _____ Biscayan, spoken near Bilbao, and Gipuzkoan, prevalent along the eastern coast.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For boundary questions, determine whether each side of the blank is an independent clause. Use a semicolon or period only between complete sentences; use a colon after a complete clause to introduce a list, definition, or explanation (common cue: the phrase "as follows").
Hints
Decide whether the first part is a complete clause
Check whether the words before the blank form a complete sentence (subject + main verb) that could stand alone.
Identify what comes after the blank
Look at the words after the blank: are they a complete sentence, or are they a list/phrase?
Recall the standard pattern for lists
When a complete clause is followed by a list, Standard English typically uses a colon to introduce the items (especially in the pattern "as follows: ...").
Eliminate choices that create fragments
Test each option: if it makes the words after the blank into a sentence fragment, eliminate it.
Step-by-step Explanation
Check the structure before the blank
Read the sentence up to the blank: "In her groundbreaking paper, linguist Maya Alonso discussed two dialects of the Basque language as _____".
This is a complete clause with a subject ("linguist Maya Alonso") and a main verb ("discussed"). The word that will fill the blank should introduce the specific items being named next.
Check the structure after the blank
Now read what comes after the blank: "Biscayan, spoken near Bilbao, and Gipuzkoan, prevalent along the eastern coast."
This is not an independent clause; it is a list of two dialects with descriptive phrases. So the punctuation must correctly introduce a list after a complete clause.
Choose the punctuation that introduces a list
A semicolon is used to join two independent clauses, and a period would end the sentence and leave the list as a fragment. A comma is not standard for introducing a list in this structure.
The standard way to introduce a list after a complete clause (especially after the phrase "as follows") is a colon, so the correct choice is follows:.