Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A
soul,” positing
B
soul”: positing
C
soul”; positing
D
soul.” Positing
Explanation
Correct answer: A.
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a participial phrase. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause (“Epicurus…‘soul’”) and the participial phrase (“positing…absence”) that provides additional information about how Epicurus defined pleasure.
Why the other choices are wrong
Choice B
Choice B is incorrect because a colon can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a participial phrase.
Choice C
Choice C is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a participial phrase.
Choice D
Choice D is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “positing.”