SAT OwlThe deepest known point in Earth's oceans, the Challenger Deep, lies nearly 11,000 meters below sea ______ if Mount Everest were set on the bottom there, its peak would still be more than two kilometers underwater.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
level,
level;
level
level, which
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B
"The deepest known point... lies nearly 11,000 meters below sea level" is an independent clause, and so is "if Mount Everest were set on the bottom there, its peak would still be more than two kilometers underwater." A semicolon can join two independent clauses. A comma alone creates a comma splice, and no punctuation creates a run-on.
Choice A creates a comma splice, joining two independent clauses with only a comma.
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. Using a comma here creates a comma splice, which incorrectly joins two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.
- C. Omitting punctuation results in a run-on sentence, failing to properly separate the two independent clauses.
- D. "Which" would need a role in the clause that follows, but that clause already has its own subject and verb, "its peak would still be," so the sentence becomes ungrammatical.
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