Question 191·Medium·Boundaries
The research team planned to publish their results in _____ unforeseen equipment failures delayed their experiments by several weeks.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For punctuation-with-connector questions, first test whether each side of the blank is an independent clause (full sentence). If both are, remember that joining them with a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) typically requires a comma before the conjunction. Use semicolons only between independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction (or before transitional phrases), and use colons to introduce explanations, lists, or examples—not before FANBOYS words. Eliminate choices that break these patterns to quickly find the correct one.
Hints
Check both sides of the blank
Ask yourself: Are the words before the blank and the words after the blank each able to stand alone as complete sentences?
Think about FANBOYS
Notice that "but" is already provided. How are independent clauses usually joined when a coordinating conjunction like "but" is used?
Consider how semicolons and colons work
Would you normally put a semicolon or a colon immediately before a word like "but," or are those punctuation marks usually used in different ways?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the two parts of the sentence
Read the sentence on both sides of the blank:
- "The research team planned to publish their results in"
- "unforeseen equipment failures delayed their experiments by several weeks"
Each part has a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a complete sentence when completed appropriately, so you are connecting two independent clauses.
Recall the rule for joining two independent clauses
When two independent clauses are joined by a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), standard English usually requires a comma before that conjunction. A semicolon is used instead of a conjunction, and a colon is used to introduce an explanation, list, or example, not with a coordinating conjunction.
Test each punctuation choice with the rule in mind
Insert each choice into the sentence:
- With no punctuation before "but," the two independent clauses are run together, which breaks the comma rule.
- A semicolon should not be directly followed by a coordinating conjunction like "but."
- A colon should not be followed by "but," and the second clause is not simply an explanation or example of the first.
- Only one option correctly places a comma before the coordinating conjunction that links the two independent clauses.
Choose the option that correctly joins the clauses
The only choice that correctly joins the two independent clauses with a comma before the coordinating conjunction is June, but.