PSAT Writing and Language Question 269: Answer and Explanation

Question: 269

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. penicillin-resistant; these
• C. penicillin-resistant these
• D. penicillin-resistant; although these

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

Difficulty: Medium

Getting to the Answer: The parts of the sentence before and after the underline are both independent clauses. Each expresses a complete thought and has a subject and predicate verb ("problem... is" and "these bacteria cannot be"). Eliminate any answer choices that are not ways to combine two independent clauses. (A) incorrectly uses a comma. (C) is incorrect because the lack of any punctuation between independent clauses results in a run-on. (D) is incorrect because the word "although" turns the second clause into a subordinate clause, so the clauses cannot be joined by a semicolon. (B) is correct because it joins two independent clauses with a semicolon.