Question

Read each sentence carefully, then choose the punctuation mark that best completes it. The women in question: many had been acting for more than 20 years, deserve awards. Several countries participated in Shakespeare festivals - Italy, Canada, France, and Mexico. Only one play had available seating, Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Macbeth?

1) Period
2) Colon
3) Dash
4) Comma

Answer 1

The correct punctuation marks to complete the sentences are a colon for the first sentence, a dash for the second, and a comma for the third. Punctuation is essential for clarity and meaning in writing.

Step-by-step explanation:

The punctuation marks that best complete the sentences in question are:

1. For the sentence "The women in question: many had been acting for more than 20 years, deserve awards," the correct punctuation to use after "The women in question" is a colon (option 2). This is because the part after the colon explains or elaborates on the subject mentioned before the colon.
2. In the sentence "Several countries participated in Shakespeare festivals - Italy, Canada, France, and Mexico," a dash (option 3) is appropriate to introduce a list or an explanation that adds to the information given in the first part of the sentence.
3. Finally, "Only one play had available seating, Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Macbeth?" is not a question but a statement. The proper punctuation mark to use here is a comma (option 4) after "seating," to separate the clauses and clarify the sentence.

Remember that appropriate punctuation is critical for clarity and flow in writing and can alter the meaning of a sentence depending on how it is used.