The research team included Dr. Sarah Chen, a neurologist _______ Professor Michael Torres, a behavioral psychologist _______ and Dr. Aisha Patel, a computational biologist.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
, a neurologist, Professor Michael Torres, a behavioral psychologist,
, a neurologist; Professor Michael Torres, a behavioral psychologist;
; a neurologist, Professor Michael Torres; a behavioral psychologist,
, a neurologist: Professor Michael Torres, a behavioral psychologist:
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the best answer. This question tests semicolon usage in a complex series.
- Context clues: List items contain internal commas (names with titles/descriptions).
- Meaning: Use semicolons to separate list items when those items contain commas.
- Verify: "Dr. Sarah Chen, a neurologist; Professor Michael Torres, a behavioral psychologist; and Dr. Aisha Patel..." correctly separates complex list items.
💡 Strategy: When list items have internal commas, use semicolons as "super commas" to separate them.
Choice A is incorrect because commas alone create confusion with internal commas. Choice C is incorrect because the semicolons are placed incorrectly. Choice D is incorrect because colons don't separate list items.