In winner-take-all legislative elections, support that is substantial but geographically diffuse may translate poorly into seats. A minor party can earn 15 percent of the vote in district after district _____ because its candidates repeatedly place second, the party may still send no representatives to the legislature.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For boundary questions containing a supplementary phrase, temporarily remove that phrase and identify the underlying sentence units. Then restore the phrase, punctuate it appropriately, and use a boundary strong enough to separate any complete sentence units.
Hints
Locate the complete thoughts
Determine whether the clause before the supplementary phrase and the entire portion beginning with “because” each form a complete sentence unit.
Analyze the supplementary phrase
Consider how the noun phrase “a notable showing” relates to the claim that precedes it and what punctuation should introduce that summary.
Choose the sentence boundary
After accounting for the supplementary phrase, select punctuation strong enough to separate the two complete sentence units.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the first sentence unit
The first clause is complete: “A minor party can earn 15 percent of the vote in district after district across the country.” The noun phrase “a notable showing” supplements and summarizes that complete clause.
Analyze the following unit
Although “because its candidates repeatedly place second” is dependent, it is followed by the main clause “the party may still send no representatives to the legislature.” Together, they form a complete sentence unit.
Punctuate both structures
A comma introduces the supplementary phrase “a notable showing.” A semicolon after that phrase then provides the necessary boundary between the two complete sentence units.