Question

maysoon zayid’s use of a colon in her line, “i grew up watching whoopi goldberg, roseanne barr, ellen, and all of these women had one thing in common: they were comedians,” accomplishes all of the following except for which?
the colon introduces the list of female comedians.
the colon allows the word “common” to be close to “comedians,” establishing some alliteration.
the colon places emphasis on the fact that the women were comedians.
the colon provides a space for the listener to think about what the three people all have in common.

Explanation:

1. Analyze Option 1: The colon comes after "one thing in common" and then lists the women as comedians, so it does introduce the list of female comedians (Whoopi, Roseanne, Ellen are female comedians here). So this is a valid use.
2. Analyze Option 2: "common" and "comedians" start with "com -", so the colon brings them close, creating alliteration. This is a valid effect.
3. Analyze Option 3: Colons are used for emphasis on the clause that follows, so emphasizing that the women were comedians is a valid use.
4. Analyze Option 4: The colon is used to explain what the common thing is (they were comedians), not to provide a space for the listener to think about what the common thing is (since it immediately explains it). So this is the one that is not accomplished.

Answer:

The colon allows the word "common" to be close to "comedians," establishing some alliteration. (Wait, no, correction: The correct option is "The colon provides a space for the listener to think about what the three people all have in common." Wait, let's re - check. Wait, the colon here is used to state the common thing (they were comedians), not to let the listener think. So the option that is NOT accomplished is "The colon provides a space for the listener to think about what the three people all have in common."