Question

which of the following is written correctly?
in june 1776, thomas jefferson wrote the first draft of the declaration of independence, and it was formally adopted by congress on july 4 of that year.
in june 1776, thomas jefferson wrote the first draft of the declaration of independence, it was formally adopted by congress on july 4 of that year.
in june 1776, thomas jefferson wrote the first draft of the declaration of independence that was formally adopted by congress on july 4 of that year.
in june 1776, thomas jefferson wrote the first draft of the declaration of independence, it was formally adopted by congress; on july 4 of that year.

Explanation:

• The first option uses a compound sentence with a coordinating conjunction "and" to correctly connect two independent clauses, which is grammatically proper.
• The second option creates a comma splice (two independent clauses joined only by a comma), which is incorrect.
• The third option uses a restrictive clause that distorts the meaning, implying Jefferson wrote a draft that was already adopted, which is factually and grammatically flawed.
• The fourth option misuses a semicolon; the phrase after the semicolon is not an independent clause, making the structure incorrect.

Answer:

A. In June 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence, and it was formally adopted by Congress on July 4 of that year.