Rather than organizing her anthology by decade, editor Mira Sen grouped the poems according to the kinds of borrowed documents they _____ these ordinary records reveal how poetic language can alter a reader's attention.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For questions testing multiple boundaries, first ignore the answer choices and identify every independent clause, introductory phrase, and list. Then assign punctuation according to function: a colon can introduce examples after an independent clause, while a period separates complete sentences. Finally, read the entire completed passage to verify both punctuation decisions rather than checking only the first mark.
Hints
Examine the list
Determine whether the material before “recipes, weather reports, and court transcripts” is a complete clause and whether the list explains a term in that clause.
Find the subject after the blank
The subject of “reveal” is “these ordinary records.” Decide how the introductory phrase immediately before that subject should be connected to it.
Check both punctuation decisions
Do not evaluate only the punctuation after “transform.” Also determine whether the material ending with “court transcripts” and the clause containing “reveal” belong in one sentence or separate sentences.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the first sentence's structure
The text before the blank forms an independent clause: “editor Mira Sen grouped the poems according to the kinds of borrowed documents they transform.” The recipes, weather reports, and court transcripts specify what those documents are, so a colon appropriately introduces the list.
Locate the next independent clause
The words “these ordinary records reveal how poetic language can alter a reader's attention” form another independent clause. “Recast as lyric poems” is an introductory phrase modifying “these ordinary records,” so it should begin a new sentence after the list.
Choose both required boundaries
Only the second option uses a colon to introduce the list and a period to separate the two independent sentences.