Question 221·Medium·Boundaries
The board of directors praised the outgoing CEO for her decisive leadership during challenging economic _____ also expressed confidence that the incoming leader would maintain the company's momentum.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For punctuation and sentence-boundary questions, first test whether the parts around the blank are independent clauses (each with its own subject and verb that can stand alone). If both are complete sentences, eliminate choices with only a comma or no punctuation, because those cause comma splices or run-ons. Then decide between a period and a semicolon, and make sure the capitalization after the punctuation matches the choice (capital letter after a period, usually lowercase after a semicolon).
Hints
Check if each side of the blank is a complete sentence
Cover the blank with your finger and read the part before it. Then read the part after it. Can each part stand alone as a complete sentence with its own subject and verb?
Think about what punctuation can join two complete sentences
If both sides are complete sentences, ask yourself: do I need just a comma, or a stronger break like a period or semicolon?
Pay attention to capitalization after the punctuation
Look at whether the word "They" after the blank is capitalized or not in each option. Does the capitalization match the type of punctuation that comes before it?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the two parts of the sentence
Look at the text before and after the blank:
- Before the blank: "The board of directors praised the outgoing CEO for her decisive leadership during challenging economic times"
- After the blank: "They also expressed confidence that the incoming leader would maintain the company's momentum."
Each part has a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a complete sentence. That means we are connecting two independent clauses.
Decide what type of punctuation is needed
When you have two independent clauses without a joining word like "and" or "but," you generally need:
- A period to end the first sentence, or
- A semicolon to link two closely related independent clauses.
A single comma by itself is not strong enough to join two independent clauses. Also, if you use a period, the next word must start with a capital letter; if you use a semicolon, the next word normally begins with a lowercase letter (unless it is a proper noun).
Check each answer choice
Now compare each option with what you know about independent clauses and punctuation:
- A) times; They – A semicolon is okay between independent clauses, but after a semicolon we do not capitalize a regular word like "they." This capitalization is incorrect.
- C) times, they – A comma alone between two independent clauses creates a comma splice, which is not allowed in standard English.
- D) times they – With no punctuation and only a space, the two sentences crash together into a run-on sentence.
The only option that correctly separates the two complete sentences and uses correct capitalization is:
- B) times. They
So the correct answer is times. They.