PSAT Writing and Language Question 259: Answer and Explanation

Question: 259

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. arguing
• C. they argue
• D. to argue

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

Difficulty: Medium

Category: Sentence Structure: The Basics

Getting to the Answer: The underlined portion links two independent clauses, each containing a subject and verb ("Many... co-opted" and "they... argued") and expressing a complete thought. As written, a comma without a FANBOYS conjunction (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So) between two independent clauses creates a run-on sentence; eliminate (A). None of the other answer choices contains a FANBOYS conjunction, so look for another way to correct the run-on. Since the comma is not underlined, look for the choice that makes the second clause dependent—in this case, choice (B).