The biologist had a clear hypothesis about the species' decline ______ pesticide runoff was poisoning the local water supply.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- A
, that
- Bcheck_circle
:
- C
, which
- D
;
Explanation
A colon introduces the explanation of "hypothesis" after an independent clause. A semicolon would also work but a colon better signals explanation; ", that" creates a fragment; ", which" requires a clear antecedent.