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Correct Answer: the stores in the mall closed; we were forced to wait outside
the sentence in question is: "when 9:00 arrived, the stores in the mall closed, we were forced to wait outside in the cold." the issue with this sentence is that it contains a comma splice, an error where two independent clauses are incorrectly joined by a comma without a coordinating conjunction.
to correct the error, we need to choose a punctuation mark that can appropriately link the two independent clauses: "the stores in the mall closed" and "we were forced to wait outside in the cold." the options provided are:
a) the stores in the mall closed, we were forced to wait outside
b) the stores in the mall closed; we were forced to wait outside
c) the stores in the mall closed: we were forced to wait outside
d) the stores in the mall closed, having forced us to wait outside
e) the stores in the mall began to close; we were forced to wait outside
let’s analyze each option:
a) this option repeats the original error with a comma splice. it is incorrect because it uses a comma to separate two independent clauses without a conjunction.
b) this option uses a semicolon, which is appropriate for linking two closely related independent clauses. this choice is grammatically correct and maintains the original meaning of the sentence.
c) this option uses a colon, which is typically used to introduce a list, quote, explanation, conclusion, or amplification. in this context, a colon is not appropriate because the second clause is not an elaboration of the first but a separate, though related, action.
d) this option changes the structure to include a participle phrase ("having forced us to wait outside"), which alters the original meaning. it implies causation by the action of the stores closing, which may not be the intended meaning.
e) this option changes the tense and aspect of the verb ("began to close" instead of "closed"), which could subtly change the meaning, indicating an ongoing action rather than a completed one at 9:00. it also uses a semicolon correctly, but the change in verb tense is significant.
therefore, the best choice is:
b) the stores in the mall closed; we were forced to wait outside
this option corrects the original comma splice without altering the meaning of the sentence, using a semicolon to properly connect the two independent clauses.
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