SAT OwlJellyfish are among the simplest animals on Earth. They have no brain, no heart, and no ______ they have drifted through the oceans for more than 500 million years, far longer than dinosaurs walked the land.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
bones
bones,
bones, yet
bones, yet,
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C
Both parts of the sentence are independent clauses. A comma followed by the conjunction "yet" correctly joins them and signals the contrast between the jellyfish's simple body and its long survival. No comma belongs after "yet."
Choice B creates a comma splice, joining two independent clauses with only a comma.
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. This choice creates a run-on sentence by joining two independent clauses with no punctuation or conjunction between them.
- B. Using only a comma to connect two independent clauses results in a comma splice, which is grammatically incorrect.
- D. Placing a comma after the coordinating conjunction 'yet' incorrectly separates it from the second independent clause.
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