Question 46·Easy·Boundaries
The northern fulmar, a seabird that resembles an albatross, nests primarily on remote cliffs; _____ range has expanded in recent decades to include urban rooftops.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For boundaries questions featuring transitions like "however," first verify you have two independent clauses. If a conjunctive adverb connects them, use the standard pattern: independent clause 1; however, independent clause 2 (or a period before the transition). Then eliminate choices that omit the comma after the transition or add mismatched punctuation such as a colon or an extra semicolon.
Hints
Check the clauses
Make sure there is a complete clause before the semicolon and that what follows the blank can form another complete clause.
Identify the transition word type
Decide whether "however" is being used as a conjunctive adverb (a sentence-level transition) or in some other way.
Recall the common punctuation rule
When a conjunctive adverb connects two independent clauses, you typically need a semicolon (or period) before it and a comma after it.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what comes before and after the blank
Read the sentence with the blank:
"The northern fulmar, a seabird that resembles an albatross, nests primarily on remote cliffs; _____ range has expanded in recent decades to include urban rooftops."
The text before the semicolon is a complete independent clause. After the semicolon, the text should also read as a complete independent clause beginning with the possessive determiner "its" modifying "range."
Determine the role of “however”
Here, "however" is a sentence-level transition (a conjunctive adverb) showing contrast between the two independent clauses. Conjunctive adverbs have specific punctuation rules when they connect two complete clauses.
Apply the standard punctuation pattern
When a conjunctive adverb links two independent clauses, the conventional pattern is:
- independent clause; however, independent clause
Since the semicolon is already in the sentence before the blank, the blank should supply "however" followed by a comma, and then the clause should continue with "its range has expanded..."
Choose the option that matches the convention
Only "however, its" correctly places a comma after the conjunctive adverb and allows the second independent clause to read smoothly and grammatically.