Question 205·Easy·Boundaries
A collection of rare botanical ______ will be on display at the city library throughout the spring.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For Standard English boundary questions, first identify the subject and verb of the sentence, then check what is on each side of the punctuation. Use commas, dashes, or semicolons only when there is a real structural need: setting off nonessential information, separating items in a complex list, or joining two independent clauses. If the sentence is a simple subject-verb structure with no interruption, choose the answer with no extra punctuation.
Hints
Look at what comes after the blank
Focus on the words immediately following the blank: they start with will be. What role does will be play in the sentence?
Identify subject and verb
Ask yourself: What is the complete subject of the sentence, and where does the verb begin? Is the blank part of the subject or the verb?
Think about when punctuation is used
Commas, dashes, and semicolons mark a break or separation. Do we need a break right between the end of the subject and the verb in this simple sentence?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the sentence structure
Read the full sentence:
A collection of rare botanical ______ will be on display at the city library throughout the spring.
The subject of the sentence is the whole phrase A collection of rare botanical ______. The verb is will be.
Decide if a break is needed before the verb
The blank is the last word in the subject, immediately before the verb will.
We only insert punctuation between the subject and verb when we are setting off extra, nonessential information or inserting an interruption. Here, there is no extra phrase or clause needing separation—this is a straightforward subject followed by its verb.
Evaluate the punctuation choices
Because we do not need a pause or break between the subject and the verb, any comma, dash, or semicolon after the noun would be incorrect. The sentence should flow directly from the noun in the blank to will be with no punctuation.
So the correct completion is “sketches” with no punctuation.