Question 67·Easy·Boundaries
During the late 1800s, the advent of refrigerated railcars ______ the long-distance transport of perishable goods.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For punctuation-boundary questions, first ignore the answer choices and read the sentence to identify how many clauses there are and what each part is doing (subject, verb, object, etc.). Only add punctuation if the structure truly demands it—such as separating two independent clauses, setting off nonessential information, or introducing a list or explanation. If the sentence reads smoothly as a single clause with a verb followed directly by its object, choose the option without extra punctuation.
Hints
Check if there is more than one sentence
Ask yourself: after the blank, do the words "the long-distance transport of perishable goods" form a complete sentence on their own, or are they just completing the idea started before the blank?
Match the punctuation to the structure
Think about when you normally use a comma, semicolon, or colon in the middle of a sentence. Do you see a list, an explanation that needs introduction, or a second complete sentence here?
Decide if a pause is needed
Read the sentence aloud in your head. Does a natural pause or break come right after the verb, or does the sentence flow directly into the description of what was enabled?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the sentence structure
Read the full sentence with a blank:
"During the late 1800s, the advent of refrigerated railcars ______ the long-distance transport of perishable goods."
The subject is "the advent of refrigerated railcars" and the verb needs to describe what this advent did to "the long-distance transport of perishable goods." This is a single, complete thought (one independent clause).
Review what each punctuation mark would do here
Look at what follows the blank: "the long-distance transport of perishable goods." This is a noun phrase acting as the direct object of the verb.
If you add:
- a comma after the verb, you usually separate clauses or items in a list.
- a semicolon, you must connect two complete sentences (two independent clauses).
- a colon, you introduce an explanation, list, or restatement that follows a complete sentence.
In this sentence, the words after the blank are not a separate sentence; they just continue the thought as the object of the verb.
Choose the form that fits a single clause
Because the words after the blank are the direct object of the verb and not a new clause, you should not insert any punctuation between the verb and its object. The sentence should read smoothly as one clause: "...the advent of refrigerated railcars enabled the long-distance transport of perishable goods." The correct answer is "enabled" with no punctuation.