SAT OwlIn 2014, the European Space Agency's Philae lander, the first spacecraft ever to touch down on a ______ bounced twice before coming to rest in the shadow of a cliff on Comet 67P.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
comet;
comet—
comet,
comet
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C
The phrase "the first spacecraft ever to touch down on a comet" describes Philae and opens with a comma. It must close with a comma before the main verb "bounced." A dash would not match the opening comma, and no punctuation would leave the phrase unclosed.
Choice B uses a dash, but the phrase opens with a comma, so it must close with a comma.
Got it wrong? On SAT Owl, Owl looks at the answer you chose and explains the exact mistake, then gives you similar questions until it sticks. Get your predicted SAT score free.