SAT OwlBioluminescent dinoflagellates, tiny marine organisms, give off light only when they are ______ the glowing blue waves seen on some beaches at night appear only where the water is being churned by breaking surf, swimmers, or boats.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
disturbed
disturbed,
disturbed, so
disturbed so,
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C
The sentence contains two independent clauses, the second describing a result of the first. A comma followed by the coordinating conjunction "so" joins them correctly. A comma alone creates a comma splice, and choice D misplaces the comma after the conjunction.
Choice D has the right conjunction, but the comma belongs before "so," not after it.
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