Question #N692
The artist, who is a master of the art of portraiture, has several distinctive styles. Some of the artist’s portraits feature realistic details and complex compositions, while others are more stylized, using bold colors and abstract shapes to create a mood. The artist’s portraits are widely collected, and they are often exhibited in major museums.
Which choice best combines the sentences at the underlined portion to maintain the style and flow of the passage?Correct Answer is: B
The correct answer is B. Using a semicolon to join two independent clauses that are closely related in meaning creates a smooth transition and avoids a comma splice. The semicolon is followed by a comma because it’s necessary to separate the introductory phrase "others are more stylized" from the rest of the sentence. The other answer choices either make an incorrect use of punctuation or don’t maintain the style and flow of the passage.