Question #N713

An early-twentieth-century travel writer, Freya Stark, is known for her adventurous and detailed descriptions of her journeys. She’s regarded for her writings, as well as her elegant prose style, which was inspired by her education at a private school for girls. Stark’s travels, which often took her to remote and difficult places, were always accompanied by a keen sense of adventure, and she is often credited with pioneering new routes in some of the world’s most difficult terrains. Stark’s writings not only describe the places she visited, but they also record her reflections on the people she met and the cultures she encountered.

Which choice best combines the sentences at the underlined portion to create a grammatically correct and stylistically effective sentence?
A. Stark’s travels, which often took her to remote and difficult places, were always accompanied by a keen sense of adventure, and she is often credited with pioneering new routes in some of the world’s most difficult terrains.
B. Stark’s travels, which often took her to remote and difficult places, were always accompanied by a keen sense of adventure, and she is often credited with pioneering new routes in some of the world’s most difficult terrains, and
C. Stark’s travels, which often took her to remote and difficult places, were always accompanied by a keen sense of adventure, and she is often credited with pioneering new routes in some of the world’s most difficult terrains;
D. Stark’s travels, which often took her to remote and difficult places, were always accompanied by a keen sense of adventure; she is often credited with pioneering new routes in some of the world’s most difficult terrains.

Correct Answer is: D

The semicolon creates a grammatically correct separation between the two independent clauses. This option also produces a smoother, more flowing sentence than the other choices.