Question 234·Hard·Boundaries
The author argues that limiting screen time will boost students' ability to concentrate; ______ the studies she relies on were conducted exclusively with adults.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For punctuation questions with transition words like "however," first check if the parts before and after the blank are complete sentences. If they are, remember the standard pattern for conjunctive adverbs between two independent clauses: semicolon + transition word + comma. Then quickly eliminate options that stack heavy punctuation (like semicolon plus colon or dash) or that omit the necessary comma after the transition.
Hints
Check the clauses
Look at the words before and after the blank. Are they both complete sentences on their own, or is one a fragment?
Notice the semicolon
There is already a semicolon before the blank. Think about what typically comes after a semicolon when you use a transition word like "however" between two sentences.
Think about punctuation after transition words
When a transition word such as "however" appears in the middle of a sentence between two complete ideas, what small punctuation mark usually follows it?
Eliminate overly strong punctuation
Ask yourself if it is standard to follow a semicolon with another very strong punctuation mark like a colon or dash right after the transition word.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the structure of the sentence
Look at both sides of the blank:
- Before the blank: "The author argues that limiting screen time will boost students' ability to concentrate;"
- After the blank: "the studies she relies on were conducted exclusively with adults."
Both sides are complete sentences (independent clauses). They are already joined by a semicolon before the blank.
Recognize the role of "however"
The word that fills the blank is clearly some form of "however." Here, "however" is a conjunctive adverb (a transition word like "therefore," "instead," "consequently") used to contrast the second clause with the first.
When a conjunctive adverb appears between two independent clauses, the standard pattern is:
- clause 1 + semicolon + conjunctive adverb + comma + clause 2
So we expect a comma after "however" in this position.
Check which punctuation fits after a semicolon
We already have a semicolon before the blank. We cannot put another strong mark like a colon or a dash after "however" in this same spot, because that would stack major punctuation marks in an ungrammatical way (semicolon + colon or semicolon + dash).
So the punctuation after "however" should be a comma, not a colon or dash.
Match the pattern to the answer choice
We want this structure:
- "...concentrate; however, the studies she relies on..."
This uses a semicolon before "however" and a comma after it, which is the correct punctuation for a conjunctive adverb between two independent clauses. The choice that does this correctly is B) however,.