Boundaries: Punctuation and Sentence Structure

SAT Reading and Writing· difficulty 5/5

Maria Sibylla Merian transformed scientific illustration with her detailed paintings of insects ______ she captured the complete metamorphosis of butterflies and moths in vivid color.

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

  • A

    (empty)

  • B

    , which

  • C

    :

    check_circle
  • D

    ;

Explanation

A colon introduces an explanation of how she transformed scientific illustration; both clauses are independent and the second elaborates on the first. A semicolon would also be grammatical but loses the explanatory link; " " is a run-on; ", which" creates an unclear modifier with an ambiguous referent.

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