It was a dark and stormy night. The wind howled outside, rattling the windows. Inside, the old mansion was eerily silent. A single candle flickered on the table, casting long shadows across the walls. The only sound was the creaking of the floorboards as I crept down the hallway.
SAT · English · previous-year question
- A.The sentence contains an unnecessary comma after "sound."
- B.The sentence requires a comma after "sound" to separate the main clause from the dependent clause.correct
- C.The sentence requires a semicolon after "sound" to separate the two independent clauses.
- D.The sentence contains no punctuation errors.
Answer
B. The sentence requires a comma after "sound" to separate the main clause from the dependent clause.
Explanation
The sentence contains a dependent clause (as I crept down the hallway) that follows the main clause (The only sound was the creaking of the floorboards). A comma is needed to separate the main clause from the dependent clause.
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