At 1,377 meters, the Tsing Ma Bridge in China is one of the longest suspension bridges in the _______ the...

Let's begin by understanding the meaning of this sentence. We'll use our understanding of pause points and segment the sentence as shown - understanding and assimilating the meaning of each segment bit by bit!

Sentence Structure

• At 1,377 meters,
  • the Tsing Ma Bridge in China
    • is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world[?]
• the Golden Gate Bridge in the United States,
  • at 1,280 meters,
    • is even longer.

Understanding the Meaning

The sentence starts with some information about a specific bridge:

• 'At 1,377 meters, the Tsing Ma Bridge in China'
  • tells us there's a bridge in China called the Tsing Ma Bridge
  • and it measures 1,377 meters

• 'is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world'
  • tells us this bridge holds a notable distinction
  • it ranks among the world's longest suspension bridges

This is where we have the blank.

Let's look at the choices:

• Choice A: just 'but' with no commas
• Choice B: ', but,' with commas on both sides
• Choice C: just a comma, no 'but'
• Choice D: ', but' with a comma before 'but'

To see what works here, let's read the rest of the sentence and understand what it's saying!

The sentence continues:

• 'the Golden Gate Bridge in the United States, at 1,280 meters, is even longer.'
  • This introduces a different bridge - the Golden Gate Bridge
  • It gives us its location (United States) and length (1,280 meters)
  • And it makes a comparison: this bridge is 'even longer'

So the complete picture is:

• The sentence is comparing two famous bridges
• First it tells us about the Tsing Ma Bridge and its status
• Then it brings up the Golden Gate Bridge for comparison

What do we notice about the structure here?

Let's look at both parts:

• First part: 'the Tsing Ma Bridge in China is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world'
  • This is a complete thought with a subject (the bridge) and verb (is)
  • It could stand alone as its own sentence

• Second part: 'the Golden Gate Bridge in the United States, at 1,280 meters, is even longer'
  • This is also a complete thought with a subject (the bridge) and verb (is)
  • It could also stand alone as its own sentence

• These two complete thoughts present contrasting or comparing information
  • The word 'but' signals this comparison/contrast

When we connect two complete thoughts with a connecting word like 'but,' we need:

• A comma before 'but'
• The word 'but' itself
• No comma after 'but'

So we need: , but

The correct answer is D: 'world, but'

GRAMMAR CONCEPT APPLIED

Connecting Two Complete Thoughts with a Coordinating Conjunction

When you want to connect two complete thoughts (each with its own subject and verb, each able to stand alone as a sentence), you can use a coordinating conjunction - words like 'but,' 'and,' 'or,' 'so,' 'yet.' The key is proper punctuation:

The pattern: [Complete thought] , [conjunction] [Complete thought]

Example 1:

• 'The concert was sold out, but we managed to get tickets.'
  • First complete thought: 'The concert was sold out'
  • Conjunction showing contrast: 'but'
  • Second complete thought: 'we managed to get tickets'
  • Comma goes BEFORE 'but,' not after

Example 2:

• 'She studied all night, so she felt confident about the exam.'
  • First complete thought: 'She studied all night'
  • Conjunction showing result: 'so'
  • Second complete thought: 'she felt confident about the exam'
  • Comma goes BEFORE 'so,' not after

In our question:

• First complete thought: 'the Tsing Ma Bridge in China is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world'
• Conjunction showing contrast/comparison: 'but'
• Second complete thought: 'the Golden Gate Bridge in the United States, at 1,280 meters, is even longer'
• Therefore: 'world, but' is correct