The summit welcomed leaders from Paris, France _______ Berlin, Germany _______ and Rome, Italy.
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readingWhich choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A
, France, Berlin, Germany,
B
, France; Berlin, Germany;
C
, France—Berlin, Germany—
D
, France: Berlin, Germany:
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the best answer. This question tests semicolon usage in complex series.
- Context clues: List items contain internal commas (city, country pairs).
- Meaning: Use semicolons to separate items when those items contain commas.
- Verify: "...from Paris, France; Berlin, Germany; and Rome, Italy" clearly separates the pairs.
💡 Strategy: When list items have internal commas, use semicolons as "super commas."
Choice A is incorrect because only commas creates confusion. Choice C is incorrect because dashes don't separate list items. Choice D is incorrect because colons don't function as list separators.