SAT Reading & Writing · Boundaries
The satellite's onboard computer failed less than a year into the mission ______ a setback that forced engineers to rewrite years of…
The satellite's onboard computer failed less than a year into the mission ______ a setback that forced engineers to rewrite years of planned observation schedules from the ground.
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: C: :
"A setback that forced engineers to rewrite years of planned observation schedules from the ground" restates and explains the significance of the preceding complete statement, exactly the function a colon serves. A comma would treat this substantial elaboration as a minor aside. A semicolon requires an independent clause on both sides, and "a setback that forced..." cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. No punctuation would run the explanation directly into the sentence with no signal that elaboration is beginning.
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