SAT OwlOn rainy spring nights at some nature reserves in New England, volunteers ______ salamanders, frogs, and newts as the animals cross roads on their way to breeding ponds, helping the animals avoid passing cars.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
count
count:
count—
count;
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A
"Count" is the verb, and "salamanders, frogs, and newts" is its direct object. No punctuation should come between a verb and its object, even when the object is a list. A colon introduces a list only after a complete independent clause, and "volunteers count" needs its object to be complete.
Choice B is tempting because a list follows, but a colon cannot separate a verb from its object.
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