Question 154·Easy·Boundaries
Because her groundbreaking novel Parable of the Sower (1993) predicts environmental disaster and social ______ Octavia Butler is often regarded as a visionary writer.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For boundary questions, identify whether each side of the blank is independent or dependent. If a dependent clause (often starting with words like "because," "although," or "when") comes first and an independent clause follows, you usually need a comma between them. Remember that a semicolon works only between two independent clauses, and conjunctions like "and" should not replace required boundary punctuation.
Hints
Find where the first idea ends
Identify the complete thought that starts with "Because" and determine where that introductory idea ends (right after the word "upheaval").
Classify the two parts
Decide whether the "Because" part can stand alone as a complete sentence. Then check whether the part starting with "Octavia Butler" can stand alone.
Match punctuation to structure
If the first part is an introductory dependent clause and the next part is an independent clause, what punctuation typically separates them?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the clause types
Look at the structure of the sentence:
- "Because her groundbreaking novel Parable of the Sower (1993) predicts environmental disaster and social upheaval" begins with "Because," so it cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. It is a dependent (subordinate) clause.
- "Octavia Butler is often regarded as a visionary writer" can stand alone as a complete sentence. It is an independent (main) clause.
Decide how these clauses should be joined
When a sentence begins with a dependent clause and is followed by an independent clause, Standard English uses a comma to separate the introductory dependent clause from the main clause.
So we need the correct boundary right after the word "upheaval" and before "Octavia Butler."
Eliminate choices that don’t fit the grammar
Test each option:
- "upheaval;": A semicolon can separate two independent clauses, but the first clause here is dependent (it starts with "Because"), so a semicolon is incorrect.
- "upheaval and": This makes it sound like the sentence continues the dependent "Because" clause, creating an incorrect structure.
- "upheaval" (no punctuation): This fails to mark the boundary between the introductory dependent clause and the main clause.
Choose the correct punctuation
The correct choice is "upheaval," because a comma should follow an introductory dependent clause.
The sentence should read:
"Because her groundbreaking novel Parable of the Sower (1993) predicts environmental disaster and social upheaval, Octavia Butler is often regarded as a visionary writer."