Question 61·Easy·Boundaries
Charmed by the promise of untouched _____ many early nineteenth-century painters traveled to the Hudson River Valley to capture its scenic beauty on canvas.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? From аniкο.ai
For punctuation (boundaries) questions, first test whether the words before and after the punctuation are complete sentences (independent clauses) or phrases. Remember: periods and semicolons usually go between two independent clauses; commas often follow introductory words or phrases before the main clause. Quickly label each side (fragment vs. complete sentence) and then eliminate any choices that misuse periods or semicolons with fragments or that omit a needed comma after an introductory phrase. © Anіko
Hints
Check if the first part can stand alone
Look just at the words before the blank. Do they form a complete sentence with a subject and a verb, or are they only describing something?
Look for the main action
Identify where the main action of the sentence starts. Which words show who is doing what?
Match punctuation to structure
Remember: periods and semicolons usually separate complete sentences (independent clauses). Commas can separate an introductory phrase from the main clause. Which punctuation choice best fits this structure?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the parts of the sentence
Read the sentence around the blank:
"Charmed by the promise of untouched wilderness _____ many early nineteenth-century painters traveled to the Hudson River Valley to capture its scenic beauty on canvas."
Ask: Is the part before the blank a complete sentence with its own subject and verb, or is it just a descriptive phrase?
Decide if the first part is a complete sentence
"Charmed by the promise of untouched wilderness" does not have its own subject doing an action. It is a participial phrase describing "many early nineteenth-century painters." The main clause of the sentence is "many early nineteenth-century painters traveled to the Hudson River Valley..." This means the first part is an introductory phrase that leads into the main clause. Wrіttеn by Аnіko
Apply punctuation rules for introductory phrases
A long introductory phrase that comes before the main clause should be followed by a comma, not a period or semicolon, and we should not leave it unpunctuated. Therefore, the correct way to complete the sentence is with "wilderness,", which is choice C.