American writer Edwidge Danticat, who emigrated from Haiti in 1981, has won acclaim for her powerful short stories, novels, and ______ her lyrical yet unflinching depictions of her native country’s turbulent history, writer Robert Antoni has compared Danticat to Nobel Prize–winning novelist Toni Morrison.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Explanation
Context: The sentence has two independent clauses: "Edwidge Danticat...has won acclaim for her powerful short stories, novels, and essays" and "Praising her lyrical yet unflinching depictions...writer Robert Antoni has compared Danticat to Toni Morrison." A period separates them.
Answer: D) essays. Praising
Why? A period correctly separates two independent clauses. The second sentence begins with "Praising her lyrical yet unflinching depictions" as an introductory participial phrase, followed by "writer Robert Antoni has compared Danticat to Toni Morrison."
Traps:
- A) essays, praising → comma splice; two independent clauses cannot be joined by a comma alone
- B) essays and praising → "and praising" would make "Praising...Antoni has compared" a coordinated element with "won acclaim," changing the meaning
- C) essays praising → run-on; no punctuation between the two independent clauses