Elon Musk is the CEO of SpaceX. He recently announced his plan to colonize Mars within the next few decades.
Which choice most effectively combines the two sentences at the underlined portion?
Elon Musk is the CEO of SpaceX; Musk recently
As the CEO of SpaceX, Elon Musk made a recent proclamation: he
In a recent announcement, Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX,
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, recently
Correct Answer: D
Choice D is the best answer. It uses an appositive phrase ("CEO of SpaceX") to identify Elon Musk, allowing the main clause to focus on his recent announcement.
Choice A is incorrect because the semicolon is used to join two short, choppy sentences without improving flow. Choice B is incorrect because the colon is unnecessary and the structure is wordy ("made a recent proclamation: he"). Choice C is incorrect because it results in a sentence fragment (the subject "Elon Musk" has no verb in this construction).