Question #N906
The school board meeting was a long one, lasting well past midnight; however, the teachers were energized by the conversation.
Which choice best corrects the punctuation error in the sentence?
A. The school board meeting was a long one, lasting well past midnight however, the teachers were energized by the conversation.
B. The school board meeting was a long one, lasting well past midnight, however, the teachers were energized by the conversation.
C. The school board meeting was a long one; lasting well past midnight, the teachers were energized by the conversation.
D. The school board meeting was a long one, lasting well past midnight; the teachers were energized by the conversation.
Correct Answer is: B
The sentence contains a comma splice. To correct the error, a semicolon should be used to separate the two independent clauses, or a comma followed by a coordinating conjunction should be used. Choice B correctly uses a comma followed by the coordinating conjunction "however."