SAT Reading & Writing · Boundaries
The lighthouse keeper's logbook records decades of shipping traffic ______ storms, near misses, and the occasional shipwreck.
The lighthouse keeper's logbook records decades of shipping traffic ______ storms, near misses, and the occasional shipwreck.
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: , including
"Including storms, near misses, and the occasional shipwreck" adds a supplementary list of examples to the preceding statement without being essential to its core meaning, and a single comma correctly sets off this kind of trailing supplement. A colon would require the preceding clause to explicitly promise a list in a more formal way, and it's not the conventional pairing with "including." C omits the comma boundary a supplement of this kind needs. B's semicolon requires an independent clause on both sides, and "including storms..." cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.
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