Question 31·Easy·Boundaries
Although the new café offers only a small ______ it has quickly become the neighborhood’s most popular meeting spot.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For sentence-boundary and punctuation questions, first identify the clause structure: find the subject and verb before and after the blank, and check whether the sentence starts with a subordinating word like "although," "because," or "when." Apply the rule that a dependent clause at the beginning is followed by a comma, then an independent clause. Eliminate options that create double conjunctions (like "Although ... but") or that leave out necessary commas or create comma splices or run-ons. Focus on grammar patterns, not on how the sentence "sounds" alone.
Hints
Look at the first word
Focus on the word "Although" at the beginning of the sentence. What kind of clause does this word start, and how is that type of clause usually punctuated when it comes before the main clause?
Find the end of the introductory clause
Identify where the "Although" clause ends. Ask yourself: where does the idea introduced by "Although" finish, and where does the main statement about the café begin?
Watch for repeated contrast words
Two of the answer choices add the word "but". Think about whether you need another contrast word when the sentence already has "Although" at the beginning.
Check for correct comma use
Between the clause that starts with "Although" and the clause that starts with "it," consider whether you need a comma, a conjunction, both, or neither to follow standard English rules.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the sentence structure
Notice that the sentence starts with the word "Although". This is a subordinating conjunction that introduces a dependent (subordinate) clause.
- Dependent clause (introduced by "Although"): "the new café offers only a small menu ___"
- Main (independent) clause: "it has quickly become the neighborhood’s most popular meeting spot."
We need to connect these two clauses correctly.
Recall the punctuation rule for "Although" clauses
When a sentence begins with a clause starting with words like although, because, if, when, etc., that entire clause is followed by a comma, and then the main clause comes next.
The pattern is:
- Although + dependent clause, + independent clause
So, we expect a comma at the end of the "Although" clause (after "menu").
Check for double conjunctions
Now look at the answer choices that include "but":
- "Although ... menu but it has ..."
- "Although ... menu, but it has ..."
"Although" already shows contrast, and "but" also shows contrast. Using both together ("Although ... but") is not standard: it's redundant and ungrammatical in this structure.
Therefore, any option that creates "Although ... but" should be eliminated.
Apply the rule and choose the option that fits
We want:
- A comma after the dependent clause introduced by "Although"
- No extra "but" after "Although" because the contrast is already expressed
That gives us this correct sentence:
Although the new café offers only a small menu, it has quickly become the neighborhood’s most popular meeting spot.
So, the correct choice is B) menu,.