A lady-in-waiting's account of Japanese courtly life in the tenth century, Sei Shonagon's Pillow Book is filled with daily observations and musings. Some of these appear as _______ "Things That Arouse a Fond Memory of the Past," Shonagon catalogs her appreciation for pressed silk, a moonlit night, and dried hollyhock.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Explanation
Context: "Some of these appear as lists: in 'Things That Arouse a Fond Memory of the Past,' Shonagon catalogs her appreciation for pressed silk..." A colon introduces the example of what these "lists" look like.
Answer: A) lists: in
Why? A colon after "lists" introduces the example: "in 'Things That Arouse a Fond Memory of the Past,' Shonagon catalogs her appreciation..."
Traps:
- B) "lists in" → without colon, "in" seems to modify "lists" rather than introduce an example
- C) "lists in:" → reversed — colon belongs after "lists," not after "in"
- D) "list, in" → "list" (singular) changes meaning; comma before "in" changes the grammatical relationship