SAT OwlThe Nazca Lines—enormous designs etched into the desert floor of southern ______ were created between about 500 BCE and 500 CE. Many of the designs can be fully appreciated only from the air.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Peru,
Peru;
Peru
Peru—
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D
The phrase "enormous designs etched into the desert floor of southern Peru" is extra information that interrupts the sentence. It opens with a dash, so it must close with a dash too. A comma, a semicolon, or no punctuation would leave the interruption unbalanced.
Choice A uses a comma to close the phrase, but an element that opens with a dash must close with a dash.
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