A punctuation question with a list tests whether you're starting the list or separating its items. First, find the job of the blank by reading the words on both sides. Cover what follows to test whether the words before it make a full sentence. A colon introduces a list of examples after a full sentence; a period or semicolon outside a list separates full sentences. Commas separate list items, so check where the list begins and ends.
Hints
- Hint 1
Start with the sentence about what Savannah is known for. Check whether the words before the punctuation form a full sentence.
- Hint 2
Look at the words after the blank. Do they have a main verb of their own, or do they name examples of the features described earlier?
Step-by-step
Test the sentence, then the list
Step 1Check whether the opening stands alone
The city of Savannah is known for starts a sentence about Savannah’s features. Can the words before the punctuation stand alone? Yes: the city is the subject and is known is the main verb, while the date adds detail about the architecture and squares. The sentence before the list is complete.
- Step 2
Find out whether the examples make a sentence
Do the examples make a new sentence, or do they depend on the sentence we've read? The passage names mansions, cobblestone streets lined with gas lamps, and towering live oaks draped in Spanish moss. The words lined and draped describe the streets and oaks; without a helper such as are, they aren't main verbs. The examples form a list that can't stand alone, so they need to stay attached to the sentence.
- Step 3
Choose the mark that introduces the examples
What mark can introduce a list explaining what Savannah is known for? A period or semicolon needs a complete sentence after it, and a comma separates items rather than starting this list. A colon attaches a list of examples to a full sentence, so use century:. Choice C.