Question #N279
It’s an exciting time to be a fan of the game of basketball. The current generation of players is incredibly talented and athletic, and fans around the world are captivated by the sport’s dynamic style of play. Teams are competing at higher levels than ever before, and new records are constantly being broken.  This era of basketball is full of exciting possibilities, and it’s a great time to be a part of it.
Which choice best combines the sentences at the underlined portion to create a grammatically correct and stylistically effective sentence?
A. Teams are competing at higher levels than ever before, and new records are constantly being broken, this era of basketball is full of exciting possibilities.
B. Teams are competing at higher levels than ever before, new records are constantly being broken, this era of basketball is full of exciting possibilities.
C. Teams are competing at higher levels than ever before, and new records are constantly being broken; this era of basketball is full of exciting possibilities.
D. Teams are competing at higher levels than ever before, and new records are constantly being broken, so this era of basketball is full of exciting possibilities.
Correct Answer is: D
Choice D uses a conjunctive adverb "so" to create a clear logical relationship between the two independent clauses. The semicolon in Choice C is incorrect because it doesn't create a strong enough connection between the clauses. The comma splices in choices A and B are grammatically incorrect.