Question 23

There was an infestation in the house used for the writing retreat, and Kristen's blankets all had to be thrown away.

This sentence is correctly punctuated as it properly uses a comma before the conjunction "and" to connect two independent clauses.

A) After Kristen's complaint the rest of the writers were anxious about their health, and they hadn't had any symptoms during the writing retreat.

This option is incorrect because it lacks a comma after "complaint," which is necessary to separate the introductory clause from the main clause. The correct structure should be "After Kristen's complaint, the rest of the writers were anxious..."

B) There was an infestation in the house used for the writing retreat, and Kristen's blankets all had to be thrown away.

This option is correct as it effectively uses a comma before "and" to join two independent clauses, maintaining clarity and following punctuation rules.

C) Although, Kristen's college Chelsea was justifiably angry several of the retreat members were relieved that the illness wasn't spread.

This sentence is incorrect due to the misplaced comma after "Although." The correct phrasing should eliminate the comma to read "Although Kristen's college Chelsea was justifiably angry, several of the retreat members were relieved..."

D) As a result of travelling to the writer's retreat, Kristen spent the next day getting tested for diseases: she had a high fever and dizzy spells.

This option is incorrect because it misuses the colon. The colon should precede a list or a clarification, but the second part of the sentence does not fit that structure. A more appropriate punctuation would be a comma to read "As a result of travelling to the writer's retreat, Kristen spent the next day getting tested for diseases, having a high fever and dizzy spells."

Conclusion

Option B is the only sentence correctly punctuated, as it adheres to grammatical conventions by including a comma before the conjunction connecting two independent clauses. Options A, C, and D contain punctuation errors that disrupt sentence clarity and correctness, making them invalid choices.