Question 21

There were just a few flurries in the air this morning, but now the snow is falling heavily in big, wet flakes.

This sentence correctly uses a comma before the conjunction "but" to connect two independent clauses, effectively showing the relationship between the two statements.

A) There were just a few flurries in the air this morning, but now the snow is falling heavily in big, wet flakes.

This option is correct because it properly employs a comma before the coordinating conjunction "but," linking two independent clauses. Each part of the sentence could stand alone as a complete sentence, and the use of punctuation here clearly indicates the contrast in weather conditions.

B) She was not looking forward to salsa class she had left her favorite dancing shoes at home, and would not have time to get them after work.

This sentence is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the two independent clauses. A semicolon or a period should be placed before "she" to correct the run-on structure and clarify the relationship between the clauses.

C) He had never been to South America before, he jumped at the chance to visit Peru.

Option C is incorrect as it contains a comma splice, improperly connecting two independent clauses with just a comma. This structure requires a semicolon or a conjunction to properly delineate the two ideas.

D) It was a worthwhile concept; brilliant, unique, and relevant.

While this sentence uses a semicolon correctly, it does not connect two independent clauses. Instead, it separates an independent clause from a list of adjectives describing the concept. Therefore, it does not satisfy the requirements of the question regarding the relationship between independent clauses.

Conclusion

Option A is definitively correct as it utilizes punctuation accurately to connect two independent clauses, demonstrating the contrast in the weather conditions. The other options fail to do this effectively, either through incorrect punctuation or by not forming a proper connection between independent clauses, highlighting the importance of correct punctuation in sentence structure.