Question 68·Medium·Boundaries
In 2016, botanist Priya Desai identified a fern species able to absorb arsenic from _____ and the discovery has since inspired new methods for remediating contaminated industrial sites. Thіs question іѕ from Anіkо
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For boundaries questions, first check whether you’re joining two independent clauses. If a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS) follows the blank and the words after it form an independent clause, you generally need a comma before the conjunction to create a correct compound sentence. © aniкo.ai
Hints
Look for a conjunction
What word immediately follows the blank, and is it a coordinating conjunction (for example, "and," "but," or "so")?
Test each side as a sentence
Read the words before the blank as one sentence. Then read the words after and as another sentence. Are both complete?
Use the compound-sentence punctuation rule
If two complete sentences are joined by a coordinating conjunction, what punctuation typically comes right before that conjunction?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what comes after the blank
After the blank, the sentence continues with and followed by a full clause: "and the discovery has since inspired new methods for remediating contaminated industrial sites."
Check for independent clauses
The text before the blank is an independent clause: "In 2016, botanist Priya Desai identified a fern species able to absorb arsenic from soil." The text after and is also an independent clause (it has its own subject and verb): "the discovery has since inspired . . ."
Apply the compound-sentence rule
When two independent clauses are joined by a coordinating conjunction like and, Standard English conventions require a comma before the conjunction.
State the answer
So the correct completion is "soil," making the sentence read "...from soil, and the discovery has since inspired..." © anіko.аі