Question 40·Easy·Boundaries
The café had just opened for the _____ the line of customers already stretched around the corner.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For boundaries questions, first check whether each side of the blank could stand alone as a sentence. If both sides are independent clauses, you need a period, semicolon, or a comma plus a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS). Then place punctuation correctly: when joining two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction like "yet", put the comma before the conjunction, not after it.
Hints
Check for complete sentences
See whether the words before the blank could be a complete sentence, and whether the words after the blank could also be a complete sentence.
Match the relationship
Decide what relationship the two complete thoughts have (contrast, cause, addition). The second idea is surprising given the first.
Place commas correctly with a coordinating conjunction
If you use a coordinating conjunction like "yet" to join two independent clauses, the comma generally goes right before the conjunction (not after it).
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the sentence parts
Read the sentence with the blank removed:
- Clause 1: "The café had just opened for the day"
- Clause 2: "the line of customers already stretched around the corner"
Determine whether each part is an independent clause
Each clause has a subject and a verb and could stand alone as a complete sentence:
- "The café had just opened for the day."
- "The line of customers already stretched around the corner."
Choose the correct boundary and connector
Because the two independent clauses contrast (just opened vs. already a long line), they should be joined with a comma plus a coordinating conjunction expressing contrast ("yet"). The comma goes before the conjunction, not after it.
Select the option that matches the correct punctuation rule
The choice that correctly joins the two independent clauses with a comma + coordinating conjunction is "day, yet".