Question

Those going on the picnic were, Martin, his wife and child, his brother-in-law and his grandparents.
Choose the option that best corrects the underlined word.

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. were
• C. were;
• D. were ...

Answer 1

The correct option is B were

The given sentence talk about the people going for a picnic. Usually such sentences that introduce a list require a colon between them. However, using a colon should be avoided before a list if it directly follows a verb or preposition. Such sentences ordinarily need no punctuation. Thus, according to the rules, the correct answer is Option B.

Option A - A comma is used to separate different items in a list.

Option C - A semi colon is used between two independent clauses when the coordinating conjunction is omitted.

Option D - An ellipsis is used to represent a trailing off thought.