Question 193·Easy·Boundaries
Neuroscientist Dr. Aisha Patel's new method for mapping neural _____ breakthrough that could reshape the study of memory, will be described in a paper she plans to publish next year.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For boundaries questions, first determine whether the words after the blank form an independent clause or a phrase (like an appositive). Then check whether there’s already a closing comma later in the sentence; if so, you typically need a matching comma to open the nonessential phrase. Eliminate semicolons/colons unless the text before the blank is a complete independent clause.
Hints
Phrase or full clause?
Decide whether "a breakthrough that could reshape the study of memory" can stand alone as a complete sentence.
Look at the comma after “memory”
Ask what that comma is doing: is it likely closing off an inserted, nonessential phrase?
Check what comes before the blank
Before the blank, do you already have a complete sentence, or are you still waiting for the main verb ("will be described")?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what follows the blank
After the blank comes "a breakthrough that could reshape the study of memory," which is a descriptive noun phrase renaming the preceding idea (an appositive), not a new independent clause.
Use the existing comma as a clue
There is already a comma after "memory," which indicates the appositive phrase is being closed there. That means you need matching punctuation right after "circuits" to open the nonessential appositive.
Eliminate punctuation that can’t work here
- A semicolon joins two independent clauses, but the material after the blank is not an independent clause.
- A colon must follow an independent clause; here, the text before the blank is only the subject (it doesn’t reach the verb "will be described" yet).
- No punctuation creates an ungrammatical run-on: "circuits a breakthrough".
Select the correct choice
A comma correctly opens the nonessential appositive and matches the comma after "memory": "circuits, a".