SAT Reading & Writing · Boundaries
Visitors to the botanical garden are asked to stay on the marked paths ______ the soil around the root systems can compact easily and harm…
Visitors to the botanical garden are asked to stay on the marked paths ______ the soil around the root systems can compact easily and harm the older trees.
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: D: because
"Because the soil around the root systems can compact easily and harm the older trees" is a dependent clause providing the reason for the request, and it's placed at the end of the sentence, directly following the main clause. When a "because" clause follows the main clause it explains, no comma is needed between them. A incorrectly adds a comma before this end-of-sentence "because" clause. C adds an unnecessary second comma with no purpose. B swaps in "but," a contrasting conjunction that doesn't fit a sentence explaining a reason instead of presenting a contradiction.
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