sat suite question viewer
On November 2, 1772, amid rising tensions with Great Britain, Boston colonists formed the Boston Committee of Correspondence. By 1774, what had started as a local means of mobilizing support for the Patriot cause had grown into something far more blank network of such committees that, facilitating communication among the colonies, helped lay the groundwork for the Continental Congress.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Explanation
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of a colon within a sentence. In this choice, the colon is correctly used to introduce the following explanation of what the Patriot cause had grown into by 1774.
Choice B is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the main clause ("what…extensive") and the supplementary element ("a network…Congress"). A semicolon is conventionally used to join two main clauses, whereas a colon is conventionally used to introduce an element that explains or amplifies the information in the preceding clause, making the colon the better choice in this context. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. The addition of the pronoun and verb "it was" forms the start of a new main clause in the sentence, and a comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between two main clauses. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with "a network."