Question 87·Hard·Boundaries
In his tenure as director of the National Park Service, Stephen Tyng Mather oversaw the designation of Grand Canyon National Park, in 1919; the establishment of the National Park Service’s first educational division, _____ the writing of Park Service policies that limited private development in national parks.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For boundaries questions involving lists, first identify the items in the series. If any item contains an internal comma, treat it as a complex series and use semicolons to separate the items. Then check whether the final item is introduced with an appropriate conjunction (often "and") and eliminate choices that use colons or commas where a semicolon is needed.
Hints
Count the listed accomplishments
How many separate things does the sentence say Mather oversaw? Mark where each item begins and ends.
Notice the semicolon after the first item
The first accomplishment ends with a semicolon. What does that suggest about the punctuation separating the other items in the series?
Use the comma right before the blank
There is already a comma right before the blank (after "division,"). The correct choice must work smoothly after that comma and still separate the list items correctly.
Pick the option that both separates and introduces
Which option ends the second item with the right strong punctuation mark and also uses a conjunction to introduce the final item?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the series
The sentence lists three things Mather oversaw:
- the designation of Grand Canyon National Park, in 1919
- the establishment of the National Park Service’s first educational division, in 1921
- the writing of Park Service policies that limited private development in national parks
The blank must provide the correct punctuation between item 2 and item 3.
Use semicolons to separate complex list items
Because the list items contain commas (for example, the date phrase in item 1), semicolons are used to separate the items clearly:
- item 1 ends with a semicolon
- item 2 should also end with a semicolon before the final item begins
Determine what must appear at the blank
Right before the blank, the sentence already has a comma after "division," indicating that the date phrase will follow. After the date phrase, we need:
- a semicolon to end item 2, and
- and to introduce the final item (item 3).
Select the choice that matches the needed structure
Only "in 1921; and" provides a semicolon to separate the second and third items and includes and to introduce the final item.
So the correct completion is in 1921; and.