Question 226·Easy·Boundaries
Like many marine biologists, Daniela Fernández was concerned about the impact of climate change on coral reefs; _____ she founded a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting ocean conservation.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For Standard English punctuation questions, first identify how many complete clauses (full sentences) you have and how they are being connected. Check any punctuation around conjunctions or transition words: after a semicolon, the next word is usually lowercase (unless it is a proper noun), and transitional adverbs that begin a clause (like "however" or "therefore") are typically followed by a comma. Use these rules to eliminate options with incorrect capitalization or missing/extra punctuation, then reread the sentence with your choice to confirm it sounds and looks correct.
Hints
Focus on the semicolon
Notice that there is already a semicolon before the blank. What kind of word or phrase usually comes right after a semicolon when you are linking two related complete sentences?
Think about capitalization
After a semicolon in the middle of a sentence, should the next word be capitalized if it is not a proper noun, or should it be lowercase?
Listen for the pause
Read the sentence with each option out loud. After the transition word in the blank, do you naturally pause before saying "she founded"? If so, what punctuation usually marks that pause in writing?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the sentence structure
The sentence has two complete ideas (independent clauses):
- "Like many marine biologists, Daniela Fernández was concerned about the impact of climate change on coral reefs"
- "she founded a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting ocean conservation"
These two clauses are already connected by a semicolon, so the blank must contain a transition that fits within the same sentence, not something that ends the sentence or starts a brand-new one.
Identify the role of the missing word
The meaning shows cause and effect: because she was concerned, as a result she founded a nonprofit.
So the missing word is a transitional adverb that signals result (like "as a result" or "for this reason"). All four choices use the same word; the real issue is capitalization and punctuation.
Apply the capitalization rule after a semicolon
A semicolon joins two independent clauses within a single sentence. The word immediately after a semicolon is not capitalized unless it is a proper noun.
That means the correct choice must use a lowercase word after the semicolon, not an uppercase one. So any option that starts with "Therefore" (capital T) is incorrect in this context.
Apply the comma rule with transitional adverbs
When a transitional adverb (such as "however," "therefore," "consequently") comes at the beginning of a clause, it is typically followed by a comma.
Here, the transition comes right after the semicolon and before "she founded," so it should be followed by a comma. Among the lowercase options, only "therefore," has the comma, so the correct completion is:
"Like many marine biologists, Daniela Fernández was concerned about the impact of climate change on coral reefs; therefore, she founded a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting ocean conservation."
State the final answer
The choice that correctly uses lowercase after the semicolon and includes the necessary comma after the transitional adverb is C) therefore,.