Question 227·Medium·Boundaries
Determined to improve nutrition in her community, Chef Mei opened a small cafe that served affordable, healthy _____ with local farmers to source fresh ingredients.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For boundaries questions, first decide whether the words after the blank form an independent clause. If they don’t (for example, they begin with an -ing participial phrase like "partnering"), you generally should not use a semicolon or a period. Instead, attach the modifier to the main clause with a comma when it adds extra information.
Hints
Decide what kind of unit follows the blank
Does "partnering with local farmers to source fresh ingredients" have a subject and a main (finite) verb? If not, it isn’t a complete sentence.
Use punctuation rules to eliminate choices
Semicolons and periods separate complete sentences. If what follows the blank can’t stand alone, those choices won’t work.
Watch for -ing modifiers
On the SAT, an -ing phrase that adds extra information is often attached to the main clause with a comma.
Test for illogical modification
Try reading the sentence with no punctuation at the blank. Does it accidentally suggest that "meals" are doing the "partnering"?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what comes after the blank
The words after the blank—"partnering with local farmers to source fresh ingredients"—begin with an -ing verb form and do not have their own subject. That means this part is a participial phrase, not an independent clause (complete sentence).
Eliminate punctuation that requires a complete sentence after it
A semicolon and a period must be followed by an independent clause.
- After a semicolon: "partnering with local farmers..." is not a complete sentence.
- After a period: "Partnering with local farmers..." is also not a complete sentence.
So the semicolon and period choices are incorrect.
Check the no-punctuation option
Without a comma, the sentence would read "...served affordable, healthy meals partnering with local farmers..." This makes the -ing phrase seem to modify "meals" (as if the meals are partnering), which is illogical and does not produce a clear, standard structure here.
Use a comma to attach a participial phrase
A comma correctly attaches a participial phrase that adds extra information to the main clause:
"...served affordable, healthy meals, partnering with local farmers to source fresh ingredients."
Therefore, the correct choice is meals, partnering.