Question

Choose the option that best corrects the sentence:
Granny Smith, Bramley and Pink Lady; are all popular apple cultivars sold in Great Britain.

a) Granny Smith, Bramley and Pink Lady, are all popular apple cultivars sold in Great Britain.
b) Granny Smith, Bramley and Pink Lady: are all popular apple cultivars sold in Great Britain.
c) Granny Smith, Bramley and Pink Lady - are all popular apple cultivars sold in Great Britain.
d) NO CHANGE

Answer 1

Hint: The punctuation in a sentence is used to tweak the meaning of the sentence. The appropriate punctuation is important. Usually, commas and colons are used after a clause.

Complete answer:
Punctuation is the use of spacing, conventional signs, and certain typographical devices as aids to the understanding and correct reading of the written text, whether read silently or aloud. This helps us to understand exactly what is being said, thanks to the spacing out of words. It can make a huge difference in meaning.

Let us deconstruct the given sentence. In this sentence, the first part lists a number of subjects, which is followed by a semi-colon. This is incorrect as there is no clause ending. The rest of the sentence is punctuated correctly.

Now, we know what we are looking for. Let’s look through the given options:

a) Granny Smith, Bramley and Pink Lady, are all popular apple cultivars sold in Great Britain. - In this option, a comma divides the first part from the second. A comma is usually used when there is a clause. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
b) Granny Smith, Bramley, and Pink Lady: are all popular apple cultivars sold in Great Britain. - In this option, a colon divides the first part from the second. The colon is also used when a clause ends, or when one has to begin a list. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
c) Granny Smith, Bramley, and Pink Lady - are all popular apple cultivars sold in Great Britain. - In this option, a hyphen is used to divide the first part from the second. The hyphen is used when there are scattered subjects. This is the required answer. So, this is the correct option.
d) NO CHANGE - This option is incorrect as we have already found the correct answer from the given options above.

Note:
Go through the given sentence and understand the meaning of it. The punctuation is different in each option, therefore it is read differently. Try to find the most appropriate option accordingly.