PSAT Writing and Language Question 275: Answer and Explanation

Question: 275

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. stripped away the shadows of the frescoes reacted chemically with Michelangelo’s pigments, and ultimately produced hues the painter never intended for his art.
• C. stripped away the shadows of the frescoes; reacted chemically with Michelangelo’s pigments; and ultimately produced hues the painter never intended for his art.
• D. stripped away the shadows of the frescoes, reacted chemically with Michelangelo’s pigments; and ultimately produced hues the painter never intended for his art.

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

Difficulty: Easy

Getting to the Answer: Items in a series should be separated by commas. This series is lengthy, but the rule is the same. The underlined portion lists the things that the "solvents" did: "stripped," "reacted," and "produced." These should be separated by commas, so (A) is correct. Semicolons, as in (C) and (D), are required only in series to separate groups of related items; when this occurs, the related items are separated by commas.