Question 96·Hard·Boundaries
Although a recent review concluded that the medication is generally _____ large-scale studies report rare but serious cardiovascular side effects.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For sentence-boundary questions, first determine whether each part of the sentence is independent (can stand alone) or dependent (starts with words like "although," "because," "while," "since"). Dependent clauses cannot be left as full sentences, so avoid periods or semicolons that would strand them; instead, use a comma to connect a starting dependent clause to the main clause. Double-check capitalization: if the first part isn’t complete, any option that forces a new sentence is almost certainly wrong.
Hints
Identify the job of the word "Although"
Look at how the word "Although" at the beginning of the sentence affects whether the first part can stand alone as a complete sentence.
Think about sentence completeness
Ask yourself: if the sentence ended right before the blank, would what comes before be a complete sentence, or would it feel unfinished?
Use capitalization as a clue
Notice which options make "Several" uppercase versus lowercase. Does the sentence logically need to continue, or should it be broken into two sentences?
Match punctuation to clause types
Consider which punctuation mark properly separates a dependent clause from the independent clause that completes its meaning.
Step-by-step Explanation
Recognize the clause introduced by "Although"
The sentence starts with "Although a recent review concluded that the medication is generally...". The word "Although" is a subordinating conjunction, which means it introduces a dependent (subordinate) clause. A clause starting with "Although" cannot be a complete sentence by itself; it needs a main (independent) clause to complete the thought.
Decide if we can end the sentence at the blank
If we use punctuation that ends the sentence at the blank (like a period or a semicolon), then the part starting with "Although" would be left as a sentence fragment. That would be grammatically incorrect, because "Although a recent review concluded that the medication is generally" does not express a complete thought by itself.
Check capitalization to see if the sentence continues
If the sentence is supposed to continue after the blank (which it must, to complete the "Although" clause), then the next word "several" should not be capitalized, because it is in the middle of the same sentence. Any answer choice that forces a new sentence (with capital "Several") or uses punctuation that doesn’t fit the "Although" structure is incorrect.
Choose the punctuation that correctly joins the clauses
We need punctuation that keeps everything in one sentence and correctly sets off the dependent clause from the main clause. A comma after the dependent clause does this: "Although a recent review concluded that the medication is generally safe, several large-scale studies report rare but serious cardiovascular side effects." The correct answer is safe, several.