SAT OwlThe Inca road system, which stretched more than 30,000 kilometers through the Andes and along the Pacific coast, was used by three main groups of ______ soldiers moving between forts, officials carrying government records, and relay runners called chasquis delivering messages across the empire.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
travelers
travelers;
travelers, such as:
travelers:
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D
The words before the blank form a complete independent clause that mentions "three main groups of travelers." The words after it name those three groups. A colon correctly introduces a list after an independent clause.
Choice C is tempting because a list follows, but a colon should not come after "such as," and the sentence names all three groups rather than giving examples.
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. With no punctuation, "three main groups of travelers soldiers" runs together, and nothing signals that a list naming the groups follows. A colon after the complete clause is needed.
- B. A semicolon incorrectly separates the independent clause from the list of items. It should be a colon because the second part explains or lists the groups mentioned in the first part.
- C. The phrase 'such as' implies examples, but the text lists all three main groups. Additionally, a colon should not follow 'such as' in this context.
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