The delegation included representatives from Tokyo, Japan _______ Seoul, South Korea _______ and Beijing, China.
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readingWhich choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A
, Japan, Seoul, South Korea,
B
, Japan: Seoul, South Korea:
C
, Japan; Seoul, South Korea;
D
, Japan—Seoul, South Korea—
Correct Answer: C
Choice C is the best answer. This question tests semicolon usage in a complex series.
- Context clues: List items contain internal commas (city, country pairs).
- Meaning: Use semicolons to separate items when those items contain commas.
- Verify: "...Tokyo, Japan; Seoul, South Korea; and Beijing, China" clearly separates the city-country pairs.
💡 Strategy: When list items contain commas, use semicolons as "super commas" to separate them.
Choice A is incorrect because using only commas creates confusion. Choice B is incorrect because colons don't separate list items. Choice D is incorrect because dashes don't function as list separators.