Question 162·Hard·Boundaries
In her later lectures on poetics, Marianne Moore argued that quotation could deepen a poem’s meaning. The poet delighted in citing—often at length—scientific journals and government pamphlets; these eclectic sources, she insisted, ______a poem’s seriousness.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For punctuation-in-context questions, first strip the sentence down to its core subject-verb-object structure so you know what must stay together. Then identify any interrupting or parenthetical phrases and check that they are set off with matching punctuation marks (commas, dashes, or parentheses) that don’t break the core clause incorrectly. Finally, eliminate choices that misuse colons or semicolons by remembering they must follow a complete clause; read each option aloud in your head to quickly hear where the sentence becomes choppy or ungrammatical.
Hints
Find the main subject and verb
Ignore the extra phrases and focus on these eclectic sources, she insisted, ______ a poem's seriousness. What role must the words in the blank play in this clause?
Look at the phrase in the middle
All choices include the words rather than undermined. How is that phrase functioning in the sentence—core information, or an interruption/aside?
Check for matching punctuation
If rather than undermined is an interrupting phrase, what kind of punctuation should appear on both sides of it? Eliminate any option that does not use matching punctuation or that incorrectly separates the verb from its object.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the core sentence
Strip away the extra phrases to find the main structure:
- Full sentence:
The poet delighted in citing ...; these eclectic sources, she insisted, ______ a poem's seriousness. - Focus on the second part:
these eclectic sources, she insisted, ______ a poem's seriousness.
Here, the core clause is these eclectic sources ... a poem's seriousness. So the blank must contain the verb phrase that connects the subject these eclectic sources to the object a poem's seriousness.
Notice the interrupting comparison
Look closely at the words in the choices: enhanced ... rather than undermined ...
- The key idea is: the sources increased the poem's seriousness instead of reducing it.
- The phrase
rather than underminedis an interrupting contrast that sits inside the verb phrase.
Because this is added, interrupting information, it should be set off by matching punctuation (like matching commas, parentheses, or dashes) on both sides.
Decide what kind of punctuation is appropriate
Check what comes right before and after the blank:
- Before the blank:
she insisted,(ends with a comma) - After the blank:
a poem's seriousness.(no punctuation until the period)
So inside the blank:
- We need a smooth verb phrase:
enhanced ... a poem's seriousness. - The interrupting phrase
rather than underminedmust be enclosed in matching punctuation, and it should not separate the verb from its object with an unnecessary comma. - A colon would be wrong here because a colon must follow a complete clause, and a single word like
enhanceddoes not form a complete clause.
Evaluate the choices and select the correct one
Now test each option:
- A)
enhanced, rather than undermined—: Uses a comma before and a dash after the interrupting phrase. This is mismatched punctuation, which is not correct for setting off one parenthetical phrase. - C)
enhanced rather than undermined,: Puts a comma afterundermined, which wrongly separates the verb phrase from its objecta poem's seriousness. - D)
enhanced: rather than undermined: A colon afterenhancedis incorrect becauseenhancedalone is not a complete clause.
The remaining choice uses a matching pair of em dashes around the interrupting phrase:
- B)
enhanced—rather than undermined—gives:these eclectic sources, she insisted, enhanced—rather than undermined—a poem's seriousness.
This sentence is grammatically correct and follows Standard English conventions. The correct answer is B) enhanced—rather than undermined—.