Question #N464
Many people enjoy the thrill of a surprise party—the excitement of seeing a friend or loved one’s face light up with joy when they walk into a room and realize they’ve been tricked. But, the joy of a surprise party is only felt by the person being surprised. For the rest of the people who planned and organized it, there’s no reward for their efforts but the pleasure of knowing they pulled it off.
Which choice best corrects the punctuation error in the passage?
A. But, the joy of a surprise party is only felt by the person being surprised.
B. But the joy of a surprise party is only felt by the person being surprised, for the rest of the people who planned and organized it, there’s no reward for their efforts but the pleasure of knowing they pulled it off.
C. But the joy of a surprise party is only felt by the person being surprised. For the rest of the people who planned and organized it, there’s no reward for their efforts but the pleasure of knowing they pulled it off.
D. But the joy of a surprise party is only felt by the person being surprised; for the rest of the people who planned and organized it, there’s no reward for their efforts but the pleasure of knowing they pulled it off.
Correct Answer is: C
The comma after "surprised" correctly separates the two independent clauses in the sentence. The other choices are incorrect because they use punctuation that doesn’t correctly join the two independent clauses.