Question #N1161
While studying the history of the Civil War, a student discovered that in 1863, a Black man named Robert Smalls, who had escaped slavery, managed to steal a Confederate ship and sail it to Union forces. Smalls’s actions not only helped the Union win the war, but they also helped to inspire other enslaved people to fight for their freedom.
Which choice most effectively combines the sentences at the underlined portion?Correct Answer is: B
Choice B is the best answer. It correctly combines the two sentences using a comma and a participial phrase, which eliminates the need for a conjunction and maintains the flow of the sentence. Choice A is incorrect because it uses a comma and a coordinating conjunction, which is not necessary. Choice C is incorrect because a semicolon would be used to separate two independent clauses, but the two clauses in this sentence are not independent. Choice D is incorrect because it uses a comma and a coordinating conjunction, which is not necessary.