Question

punctuation example (supplements)
according to naomi nakayama of the university of edinburgh, the reason seeds from a dying dandelion appear to float in the air while ______ is that their porous plumes enhance drag, allowing the seeds to stay airborne long enough for the wind to disperse them throughout the surrounding area.

which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of standard english?

choose 1 answer:
a falling,
b falling:
c falling;
d falling

Explanation:

The sentence structure here is "while falling" (a present - participle phrase used as an adverbial to describe the action when the seeds float). There is no need for a punctuation mark after "while falling" because it is part of the subordinate clause structure. Option A has a comma which is incorrect as it would create an improper pause. Options B and C have a colon and a semicolon respectively, which are also incorrect as they don't fit the grammatical structure of the sentence. Option D, "falling" without any punctuation, fits the structure of the sentence where "while falling" is a phrase modifying the main clause about the seeds floating.

Answer:

D. falling