Question 187·Easy·Boundaries
Because the festival is so _____ often sell out months in advance.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For Standard English punctuation/boundary questions, first identify whether the words before and after the underlined portion are dependent clauses, independent clauses, or phrases. Then apply the core rules: use a comma after an introductory dependent clause, use a semicolon only between two full sentences, and use a colon only after a complete sentence that introduces something. Eliminate any option that violates these rules, even if it "sounds" okay, and choose the option that correctly matches the sentence structure.
Hints
Look at what comes before and after the blank
Ask yourself: Is the part before the blank (starting with "Because") a complete sentence on its own, or does it depend on what comes after it? What about the part after the blank?
Think about introductory "Because" clauses
When a sentence begins with a clause starting with "Because," what kind of punctuation usually comes right before the main clause that follows?
Review semicolon and colon rules
A semicolon and a colon both require a complete sentence before them. Is the part ending with "popular" complete, or is it still "waiting" for the rest of the sentence?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the sentence structure
Read the full sentence with a blank: "Because the festival is so popular ____ tickets often sell out months in advance."
- The part before the blank, "Because the festival is so popular," starts with "Because," so it is a dependent clause (it cannot stand alone as a complete sentence).
- The part after the blank, "tickets often sell out months in advance," can stand alone as a complete sentence (it has a subject, tickets, and a verb, sell out), so it is an independent clause.
Recall punctuation rules for clauses
Now connect these grammar rules to punctuation:
- A comma is used after an introductory dependent clause that comes before an independent clause (for example: "Because it was raining, we stayed inside.")
- A semicolon is used to join two closely related independent clauses.
- A colon must come after a complete sentence and usually introduces an explanation, list, or restatement.
Ask: What punctuation mark is normally used right after an introductory "Because" clause, before the main clause?
Eliminate choices that break the rules
Use the rules to cross out incorrect options:
- No punctuation ("popular tickets"): This would run the dependent clause directly into the independent clause without any separation, which is not standard.
- Semicolon ("popular; tickets"): A semicolon can only go between two independent clauses, but the part before the blank is not independent.
- Colon ("popular: tickets"): A colon must follow a complete sentence; the part before the blank is incomplete because it starts with "Because."
So the punctuation must be the one that correctly follows an introductory dependent clause.
Choose the option that correctly uses a comma
Since an introductory "Because" clause should be followed by a comma before the main clause, the correct completion is:
"Because the festival is so popular, tickets often sell out months in advance."
So the correct answer is "popular, tickets" (Choice B).