English ACT Aspire Practice Test

How should the sentence be properly structured: "She insulated a large cardboard ___ lined it, with aluminum foil, and placed a sheet of glass on top?"

1. NO CHANGE

2. box, lined it with aluminum foil; and,

3. box, lined it with aluminum foil, and

4. box; lined it with aluminum foil, and

The correct answer is: box, lined it with aluminum foil, and

The correct structure for the sentence effectively connects the ideas while maintaining clarity and proper punctuation. The phrase "She insulated a large cardboard box, lined it with aluminum foil, and placed a sheet of glass on top" provides a logical and fluid sequence of actions. Using the word "and" before "placed" connects the last action in the list directly with the preceding actions, which is essential for maintaining parallelism and coherence. The commas are used properly to separate the different actions, which helps readers follow the series of efforts the subject undertakes. In contrast, the other options disrupt the structure or clarity. For instance, the use of a semicolon or additional commas may imply a more complex relationship between the clauses that is not actually present in the context. This makes the correct answer the most suitable choice for clear and effective communication.