Question 70·Easy·Boundaries
Throughout the city of Paris, the Seine River is crossed by dozens of bridges. One of the oldest is the Pont Neuf, completed in 1607. The bridge is notable _____ it was the first in the city built without houses lining its sides.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For punctuation-and-boundaries questions in Standard English, first identify the clause structure around the blank: locate the subject and verb before and after it, and decide whether the second part is independent or dependent. Then match punctuation to structure: semicolons join two independent clauses, dashes add breaks or emphasis, and commas must not split a conjunction from its clause. When a subordinating conjunction like "because" links a main clause to its reason, it should usually be followed immediately by the clause, with no extra punctuation in between.
Hints
Look at the relationship between the ideas
Focus on how the part after the blank ("it was the first in the city...") relates to "The bridge is notable." Is it adding a contrast, a list, or giving a reason?
Think about clause structure
"The bridge is notable" is a complete sentence, and "it was the first in the city built without houses lining its sides" is also a complete thought. But here, one is explaining the other. What kind of word links a statement to its explanation or reason within the same sentence?
Consider where punctuation belongs
Ask yourself: In standard formal writing, do we normally put a semicolon, dash, or comma immediately after a connecting word like the one that shows reason, before the word "it"?
Test the rhythm of the sentence
Silently read each option in place. Which one sounds like smooth, normal written English without an unnecessary pause right after the connector?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the sentence is doing
Read the whole sentence: "The bridge is notable _____ it was the first in the city built without houses lining its sides." The part after the blank explains why the bridge is notable, so the blank must connect the statement to its reason.
Identify the type of connector needed
We need a word that introduces a reason clause. A common word that does this is a subordinating conjunction, such as "because," which links a main clause ("The bridge is notable") to a dependent clause giving the reason ("it was the first in the city...").
Decide if punctuation should follow the connector
In a sentence like this, where the reason clause is essential and follows directly after the connector, we normally do not put punctuation between the connector and the clause it introduces. Writing something like "because; it was" or "because, it was" incorrectly separates the conjunction from its clause.
Evaluate each answer choice by its punctuation
Check each option in the sentence:
- "The bridge is notable because; it was..." → a semicolon after a conjunction is incorrect.
- "The bridge is notable because— it was..." → a dash breaks the flow and wrongly separates the conjunction from its clause.
- "The bridge is notable because, it was..." → a comma after the conjunction is also incorrect. Only "because" with no punctuation after it correctly and smoothly links the main clause to the reason clause.