Question

Which punctuation change will correct this sentence? We can be proud of the American inventions that have been produced throughout the 1800s; like this, it is long and very impressive.

Options:
a. We can be proud of the American inventions that have been produced throughout the 1800s like this is long and very impressive.
b. We can be proud of the American inventions that have been produced throughout the 1800s, like this is long and very impressive.
c. We can be proud of the American inventions that have been produced throughout the 1800s; like this, it is long and very impressive.
d. We can be proud of the American inventions that have been produced throughout the 1800s. Like this, it is long and very impressive.

Answer 1

To correct the sentence, a period should be used to separate two independent clauses, making option d the correct punctuation change: 'We can be proud of the American inventions that have been produced throughout the 1800s. Like this, it is long and very impressive.'

Step-by-step explanation:

To correct the punctuation in the sentence provided by the student, we should look for an option that separates two independent clauses correctly. A semicolon is often used to join two closely related independent clauses, but the use of 'like this' indicates that what follows is not an independent clause but rather an elaboration or a list of items. Therefore, a semicolon would not be appropriate here. Instead, a period should be used to end the first independent clause before starting the second statement that elaborates on the list. Therefore, the corrected sentence is:

We can be proud of the American inventions that have been produced throughout the 1800s. Like this, it is long and very impressive.

Option d. is the correct choice for this correction, as it correctly separates the two independent clauses with a period instead of a semicolon, comma, or without any punctuation, providing a clear break and avoiding a run-on sentence. This approach also gives appropriate emphasis to the statement that follows, setting the stage for an additional description or list.