Which sentence below uses punctuation correctly? Select one: They decided to split four appetizers: nachos, wings, fried pickles, and cheese fries. b. They decided to split four appetizers: nachos; wings; fried pickles; and cheese fries. c. They decided to split four appetizers: nachos, wings, fried pickles, and cheese fries. d. They decided to split four appetizers: nachos, wings, fried pickles, and cheese fries.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct sentence is c. They decided to split four appetizers: nachos, wings, fried pickles, and cheese fries.
Explanation:
The punctuation in option c is used correctly because:
- Colon Usage: A colon is used after the phrase “They decided to split four appetizers,” indicating that what follows the colon will list the specific appetizers. A colon is appropriate here because it introduces a list or explanation.
- Commas in the List: In English, when listing items, commas separate the elements in the list. The use of commas in c separates each appetizer (nachos, wings, fried pickles, and cheese fries). Commas are the standard punctuation for separating items in a list unless semicolons are necessary to separate more complex items or to avoid confusion.
Why the other options are incorrect:
- a. They decided to split four appetizers: nachos, wings, fried pickles, and cheese fries.
This sentence is almost identical to c, but it lacks clarity about how the list is introduced. The comma after “appetizers” helps to indicate that the following items are related to the appetizers being split. - b. They decided to split four appetizers: nachos; wings; fried pickles; and cheese fries.
This is incorrect because semicolons are generally used when the list items are complex or already contain commas. Since the items in this list (nachos, wings, etc.) are simple, commas should be used instead. - d. They decided to split four appetizers: nachos, wings, fried pickles, and cheese fries.
This sentence is the same as a, and it is missing the necessary clarification in punctuation. The structure of c is clearer in context.
In summary, sentence c is the best example of correct punctuation because it properly uses a colon to introduce the list and commas to separate the items in the list.
