Question 239·Medium·Boundaries
Ecologist Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962) delivered a sobering message about the dangers of pesticide _____ her meticulous research and compelling prose sparked a nationwide environmental movement.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For SAT boundary questions, first determine whether the text on each side of the blank forms an independent clause (a complete sentence). If you have two independent clauses and no coordinating conjunction, eliminate the comma (comma splice) and look for a semicolon; a period also works only if the following word is correctly capitalized. Use a colon only when the second part clearly introduces an explanation, example, or list.
Hints
Check each side of the blank
Look at the words before and after the blank. Does each side have its own subject and verb and express a complete thought?
Think about how to join full sentences
If both sides are complete sentences and there is no "and," "but," or other conjunction, what punctuation can correctly connect them?
Compare semicolon vs. colon vs. period
A semicolon links two closely related full sentences. A colon introduces an explanation/list/example. A period starts a new sentence, so the next word should be capitalized.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the clause before the blank
Read up to the blank:
“Ecologist Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962) delivered a sobering message about the dangers of pesticide _____”
This portion has a subject (“Ecologist Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962)”) and a verb (“delivered”) and expresses a complete thought, so it is an independent clause.
Identify the clause after the blank
Read what follows the blank:
“her meticulous research and compelling prose sparked a nationwide environmental movement.”
This also has a subject (“her meticulous research and compelling prose”) and a verb (“sparked”) and expresses a complete thought, so it is another independent clause.
Choose punctuation that can join two independent clauses
Two independent clauses with no coordinating conjunction (no “and,” “but,” etc.) cannot be joined by just a comma.
Valid options in Standard English include:
- a semicolon, or
- a period (but then the next word must be capitalized).
A colon is reserved for introducing an explanation, example, or list.
Evaluate the choices
Check each option:
- overuse, creates a comma splice (two full sentences joined by only a comma).
- overuse: incorrectly suggests the second clause is an explanation/list introduced by the first.
- overuse. would require the next word to be capitalized (Her), but the sentence continues with lowercase “her.”
Therefore, the only choice that correctly joins the two independent clauses as written is overuse;.