At first glance, the repeated diamonds in textile artist Nia Calder's handwoven panels appear mechanically uniform. That regularity is ______ minute variations in the tension of the wool cause corresponding shifts in the diamonds' widths.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For boundary questions involving an interrupting word such as "however," first remove the interruption and identify the underlying clauses. Then decide whether the interruption needs paired commas. Before selecting a semicolon, confirm that the complete material on both sides can stand as independent sentences.
Hints
Find the core statement
Temporarily remove "however" and identify the main statement and the explanatory clause.
Consider the role of "however"
Determine whether the word is essential to the sentence's grammar or interrupts an otherwise complete structure.
Test any semicolon
A semicolon must have a complete independent clause on each side. Examine the entire text following the proposed semicolon.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the sentence structure
The main clause is "That regularity is deceptive." The clause beginning with "because" explains why the regularity is deceptive.
Punctuate the interruption
In this position, "however" is a nonessential interruption expressing contrast. It therefore needs a comma before it and a comma after it.
Check the clause boundary
Although the words before "however" form an independent clause, the material beginning with "because" is dependent. A semicolon cannot separate an independent clause from a dependent clause here.