Question 168·Hard·Boundaries
During the late 19th century, journalist Ida B. Wells published a series of investigative articles on _____ Her fearless reporting exposed the brutality of racial violence and galvanized anti-lynching activism.
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 forms an independent clause. If both sides are complete sentences, eliminate comma-only options (comma splice). Then decide between separators (period) versus connectors (semicolon/dash) using clues like capitalization and whether the author is starting a new sentence.
Hints
Check completeness
After you insert a choice, do you have a complete sentence before the blank and a complete sentence after it (each with a subject and verb)?
Notice the capital letter
The next word is "Her" (capitalized, not a name). What punctuation is most commonly used right before a new sentence begins?
Rule out the comma splice
If both sides are full sentences, which option would incorrectly join them with only a comma?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what each option is doing
Each choice supplies the missing word lynching plus a punctuation mark. So you are choosing how to punctuate the boundary between:
- Independent clause 1: "During the late 19th century, journalist Ida B. Wells published a series of investigative articles on lynching"
- Independent clause 2: "Her fearless reporting exposed the brutality of racial violence and galvanized anti-lynching activism."
Eliminate punctuation that cannot correctly join two sentences
Because both sides are complete sentences (independent clauses), a comma would create a comma splice, which is not standard English.
Use capitalization to test the remaining boundary choices
A semicolon or dash generally connects two independent clauses within a single sentence. In that case, the next word is typically lowercase unless it is a proper noun.
Here, the next word is "Her" (capitalized but not a proper noun), which is a strong clue that the writer intends to start a new sentence, not continue the same one.
Choose the punctuation that correctly ends the sentence
A period correctly ends the first complete sentence and allows the next sentence to begin with "Her." Therefore, the correct choice is lynching.