Question #N572
The following sentence is from a novel about a group of friends who spend a summer together at a lake house. "The friends loved to swim, hike, and play games, but they also enjoyed relaxing and talking in the evenings." Which choice provides the best way to punctuate the sentence?
Which choice provides the best way to punctuate the sentence?
A. The friends loved to swim, hike, and play games, but they also enjoyed relaxing and talking in the evenings.
B. The friends loved to swim, hike, and play games; but they also enjoyed relaxing and talking in the evenings.
C. The friends loved to swim, hike, and play games, but they also enjoyed relaxing and talking, in the evenings.
D. The friends loved to swim, hike, and play games; but, they also enjoyed relaxing and talking in the evenings.
Correct Answer is: A
The sentence contains two independent clauses, joined by the coordinating conjunction "but." The most appropriate way to punctuate this sentence is to separate the two clauses with a comma. The other punctuation choices create either a comma splice (Choice B) or a sentence fragment (Choice C), both of which are grammatical errors. Choice D is incorrect because the comma before the conjunction "but" isn't necessary in this sentence.