The sprinter might have broken the world record for the 100-meter _________ she not stumbled in the final few meters and lost her momentum.
8
writingWhich choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A
dash: had
B
dash; had
C
dash. Had
D
dash, had
Correct Answer: D
Choice D is the best answer. The comma correctly connects the inverted conditional dependent clause ("had she not stumbled") to the main clause.
Choice A is incorrect because a colon is inappropriate to connect a conditional clause here. Choice B is incorrect because a semicolon separates two independent clauses. Choice C is incorrect because the second part is a dependent clause fragment.