Question #N1425
The scientist discovered that while the color of a flower can be perceived by the human eye, the scent of a flower can be detected by the nose. The scientist explained that the sense of smell is more powerful than the sense of sight because the sense of smell can trigger memories and emotions. This theory was supported by a recent study that found that people were more likely to remember a happy memory when they smelled a familiar scent than when they saw a familiar picture. What is the most likely reason why the writer chose to use a semicolon in the sentence, "The scientist explained that the sense of smell is more powerful than the sense of sight; this theory was supported by a recent study that found that people were more likely to remember a happy memory when they smelled a familiar scent than when they saw a familiar picture."
The semicolon in the sentence is most likely used toCorrect Answer is: A
The semicolon is used to separate two closely related independent clauses. The first independent clause is "The scientist explained that the sense of smell is more powerful than the sense of sight." The second independent clause is "this theory was supported by a recent study that found that people were more likely to remember a happy memory when they smelled a familiar scent than when they saw a familiar picture." The two clauses are related because the second clause provides evidence for the first clause. Semicolons are often used to separate two related independent clauses when a conjunction is not used.