Boundaries: Punctuation and Sentence Structure

SAT Reading and Writing· difficulty 2/5

The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, occurs near Earth's magnetic poles ______ charged particles from the sun collide with atmospheric gases.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

  • A

    (empty)

  • B

    , when

    check_circle
  • C

    when

  • D

    ,

Explanation

", when" introduces a subordinate clause explaining the timing/cause. ", " creates a comma splice; " when" without comma is acceptable for restrictive use but here a comma fits the descriptive sense; " " is a run-on.

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