Question 1 of 36
Drop-downRead the notice. Then choose the option that correctly completes the sentence.
Lakeview Apartments — Package Policy
The front desk closes at packages delivered after that time will be held in the mailroom until the next morning.
Choose an answer from each menu.
Hint
Both halves of this sentence could stand alone. What is needed to join two complete sentences correctly?
Step-by-step solution
The sentence contains two complete thoughts: The front desk closes at 5:00 p.m. and packages delivered after that time will be held in the mailroom. Each has its own subject and verb (desk closes; packages will be held), so each is an independent clause. Two independent clauses cannot simply be pushed together or joined with only a comma.
Step by step:
- Find the two clauses and the place where they meet (after 5:00 p.m.).
- Join them correctly with a comma plus a coordinating conjunction. The second idea is a result of the first, so so fits: 5:00 p.m., so packages…
- Reject the others: no punctuation creates a run-on; a comma alone creates a comma splice; so, with the comma after it puts the comma in the wrong place.
The correct choice is 5:00 p.m., so.
Tip: Three ways to join two complete sentences: a period, a semicolon, or a comma + FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). A comma by itself is never enough.