Question 58·Easy·Boundaries
In her editorial on urban planning, Sofia Mendez poses a critical question: What _____
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For Standard English "boundaries" questions, always read the entire sentence and identify what the punctuation is doing—does a colon or comma introduce a complete thought, a quote, a list, or a question? Then check three things systematically: (1) sentence structure (word order should match whether it’s a statement or a question), (2) end punctuation (question mark vs. period), and (3) capitalization (only proper nouns and the first word of a sentence should be capitalized). Eliminate any choice that breaks one of these rules and choose the one that satisfies all of them in context.
Hints
Think about what the colon introduces
A colon often introduces an explanation, list, or a direct quote. Here, it introduces the exact wording of the “critical question.” Ask yourself: should that wording look like a question or a statement?
Look at word order after "What"
After "What" in a direct question, do we usually say something like "can they do" or "they can do"? Check which choices follow normal English question word order.
Check the end punctuation and capitalization
Because Sofia is asking a question, what punctuation should end the sentence? Also, is "city leaders" a specific name that should be capitalized, or a general term that stays lowercase?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand how the colon is being used
The sentence says, "Sofia Mendez poses a critical question: What _____". A colon introduces the exact wording of the question she poses. That means what comes after the colon should be a complete direct question, not just a statement or a fragment.
Decide on the structure after "What"
After the word "What" in a direct question, English usually uses question word order: an auxiliary verb (like can) comes before the subject (like city leaders). So we want something like "What can city leaders do...", not statement order like "What city leaders can do..." when it is punctuated as a direct question.
Check the ending punctuation
Because this is the exact question Sofia is asking, the sentence must end with a question mark, not a period. Any choice that ends with a period does not correctly show that this is a direct question.
Check capitalization of "city leaders"
"city leaders" is a general term, not the name of a specific person, place, or organization. That means it is not a proper noun and should not be capitalized in the middle of a sentence. Only the first word after the colon (here, already provided as What) should be capitalized; city should stay lowercase.
Match all the rules to the correct choice
We need a completion that:
- uses question order (auxiliary before subject) after What,
- ends with a question mark, and
- keeps city leaders in lowercase.
Only choice D, "can city leaders do to reduce traffic congestion?", fits all of these requirements, so D is correct.