Question 55·Hard·Boundaries
Because solar storms can disable satellites, engineers attempt to design circuitry that can withstand intense _____ they cannot, however, shield every component from damage.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For boundary punctuation questions, first decide whether the text on each side of the blank is an independent clause. If both sides are complete clauses, eliminate the comma (comma splice) and choose between period vs. semicolon based on whether the following word must be capitalized. Use a colon only when the second part clearly explains or elaborates on the first.
Hints
Test the part after the blank
Is "they cannot, however, shield every component from damage" a complete clause (subject + verb)?
Test the part before the blank
After you fill in the missing word "radiation," does the first part contain a complete main clause (not just the opening "Because" phrase)?
Use capitalization as a clue
If you used a period, would the next word need to be capitalized? What do you notice about "they" in the text?
Match punctuation to clause structure
When you have two independent clauses and you want them in the same sentence, which punctuation mark can do that cleanly?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what the blank is doing
The blank comes right after the word "intense" and right before "they cannot, however, shield every component from damage." So the choice must supply the missing word "radiation" and the punctuation that separates the two clauses.
Check whether both sides are complete clauses
- First part: "Because solar storms can disable satellites, engineers attempt to design circuitry that can withstand intense radiation" has a complete main clause (subject "engineers," verb "attempt").
- Second part: "they cannot, however, shield every component from damage" is also a complete independent clause (subject "they," verb phrase "cannot shield").
So you are separating two independent clauses.
Eliminate punctuation that doesn’t fit
- radiation, creates a comma splice because a comma alone cannot join two independent clauses.
- radiation: is used when what follows explains or lists what comes before; here the second clause contrasts with the first (signaled by "however"), so a colon is not appropriate.
- radiation. would start a new sentence, and the next word would need to be capitalized ("They"), but the text shows lowercase "they," and you cannot change capitalization.
Choose the correct boundary
A semicolon correctly joins two related independent clauses while keeping "they" lowercase:
"Because solar storms can disable satellites, engineers attempt to design circuitry that can withstand intense radiation; they cannot, however, shield every component from damage."
Therefore, the correct answer is radiation;.