OpenSAT

Question #N647

In 1965, the United States Congress passed the Voting Rights Act, a landmark piece of legislation that outlawed discriminatory voting practices in the South. The Voting Rights Act was a major victory for the civil rights movement, and it remains an important piece of legislation today.

Which choice best combines the sentences at the underlined portion to create a grammatically correct and stylistically effective sentence?

A. the Voting Rights Act was a major victory for the civil rights movement and

B. the Voting Rights Act, a major victory for the civil rights movement, and

C. the Voting Rights Act—a major victory for the civil rights movement—and

D. the Voting Rights Act; a major victory for the civil rights movement, and

Reveal Answer Go Back

Correct Answer is: A

Choice A is the best way to combine the sentences because it uses a coordinating conjunction ("and") to connect the two independent clauses. The comma before the conjunction is also correct. The other choices are incorrect. Choice B adds an unnecessary comma after the first clause. Choice C uses a dash to set off the nonessential phrase, which isn’t necessary here. Choice D uses a semicolon to separate the two independent clauses, which is incorrect because the two clauses are not closely related.