Question 126·Hard·Boundaries
The mysterious Voynich ____ a fifteenth-century codex filled with undeciphered glyphs, continues to baffle scientists; its many botanical illustrations—though drawn in an unrecognizable style—hint at a Europe newly awash in exotic plants.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For boundaries questions, first decide whether the material after the blank is a full independent clause or an inserted phrase (like an appositive). If it’s an appositive in the middle of the sentence, it should be surrounded by matching punctuation—most often comma–comma. Eliminate semicolons/colons when the text before the blank isn’t an independent clause, and eliminate a single dash when there isn’t a second dash to close the interruption.
Hints
Decide what the phrase after the blank is doing
Does “a fifteenth-century codex filled with undeciphered glyphs” rename the manuscript (extra description), or does it start a new sentence with its own subject and verb?
Look at the punctuation after “glyphs”
The phrase ends with a comma after “glyphs,”. Whatever punctuation starts that inserted phrase should pair logically with the punctuation that ends it.
Check whether the words before the blank form a full sentence
Ask: do the words before the blank have a subject and a verb? If not, eliminate punctuation that requires an independent clause before it (like semicolons and colons).
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the structure around the blank
Read the text with the blank:
- “The mysterious Voynich ____ a fifteenth-century codex filled with undeciphered glyphs, continues to baffle scientists …”
The words after the blank rename the noun (“Voynich Manuscript”) and give extra information. That’s an appositive phrase.
Apply the rule for nonessential appositives
A nonessential appositive placed in the middle of a sentence should be enclosed with matching punctuation—most commonly comma + appositive + comma.
Notice there is already a comma after “glyphs,” which closes the appositive. So the punctuation at the blank should be a comma as well.
Eliminate choices that break sentence structure
- Semicolon and colon require a complete independent clause before them; “The mysterious Voynich Manuscript” is only a noun phrase, not a full sentence.
- A single dash would need a matching dash to close the interruption, but the appositive ends with a comma.
Therefore, the choice that correctly completes the sentence is Manuscript,.