SAT Reading & Writing · Boundaries
The research vessel carried enough supplies for six months ______ far more than the original three-month expedition required.
The research vessel carried enough supplies for six months ______ far more than the original three-month expedition required.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Answer and explanation
Answer: A: ,
"Far more than the original three-month expedition required" is a supplement that adds an evaluative comment about the six months of supplies without forming a complete sentence of its own, so a single comma correctly sets it off. A semicolon requires an independent clause on both sides, which this phrase isn't. Both coordinating conjunctions, "and" and "but," would need a comma before them if joining two independent clauses, but this phrase still isn't independent, so adding a conjunction here doesn't resolve the actual issue and introduces an unnecessary connective word.
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