The first computerized spreadsheet, Dan Bricklin's VisiCalc, improved financial recordkeeping not only by providing users with an easy means of...

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

• The first computerized spreadsheet, Dan Bricklin's VisiCalc,
  • improved financial recordkeeping
    • not only by providing users with an easy means
      • of adjusting data in spreadsheets
    • but also by automatically updating all calculations
      • that were dependent on these adjustments [?]
• [?] to VisiCalc's release,
  • changing a paper spreadsheet often required redoing the entire sheet by hand,
    • a process that could take days.

Understanding the Meaning

Let's start from the beginning:

The passage introduces us to VisiCalc:

• 'The first computerized spreadsheet, Dan Bricklin's VisiCalc'
  • This identifies what we're talking about - the first spreadsheet program

The sentence tells us what VisiCalc did:

• 'improved financial recordkeeping'
  • It made keeping financial records better

How did it improve recordkeeping? In two ways:

• 'not only by providing users with an easy means of adjusting data in spreadsheets'
  • First way: made it easy to change numbers in the spreadsheet
• 'but also by automatically updating all calculations that were dependent on these adjustments'
  • Second way: when you changed one number, VisiCalc automatically updated all the other calculations that used that number

This is where we have the blank - after "adjustments."

Let's look at the choices:

• Choice A: no punctuation before "prior"
• Choice B: comma before "prior"
• Choice C: period before "Prior" (with capital P)
• Choice D: "and" before "prior"

To see what works here, let's read what comes next and understand what it's saying:

'Prior to VisiCalc's release, changing a paper spreadsheet often required redoing the entire sheet by hand, a process that could take days.'

Let's break this down:

• 'Prior to VisiCalc's release'
  • This means before VisiCalc existed
• 'changing a paper spreadsheet often required redoing the entire sheet by hand'
  • Before VisiCalc, if you changed one number on a paper spreadsheet, you had to manually recalculate everything else on the whole sheet
  • This is providing contrast - showing how hard things were before VisiCalc
• 'a process that could take days'
  • This manual recalculation could take days to complete

Now, what do we notice about the structure here?

Look at what comes BEFORE the blank:

• 'The first computerized spreadsheet, Dan Bricklin's VisiCalc, improved financial recordkeeping not only by providing users with an easy means of adjusting data in spreadsheets but also by automatically updating all calculations that were dependent on these adjustments'
  • This is a complete thought with a subject (VisiCalc) and verb (improved)
  • It could stand alone as a full sentence

Look at what comes AFTER the blank:

• 'Prior to VisiCalc's release, changing a paper spreadsheet often required redoing the entire sheet by hand, a process that could take days.'
  • This is ALSO a complete thought with a subject (changing a paper spreadsheet) and verb (required)
  • This could ALSO stand alone as a full sentence

So we have TWO COMPLETE SENTENCES - two independent thoughts that each need to stand on their own.

When you have two complete sentences, they must be properly separated. The correct answer is Choice C - using a period to create two separate sentences.

GRAMMAR CONCEPT APPLIED

Separating Complete Sentences (Independent Clauses)

When you have two complete thoughts that can each stand alone as sentences (called independent clauses in grammar terms), you must separate them properly. You have three options:

Option 1: Use a period to create two sentences

• First complete thought: The software improved productivity.
• Second complete thought: Companies saw immediate results.
• Combined correctly: The software improved productivity. Companies saw immediate results.

Option 2: Use a semicolon

• The software improved productivity; companies saw immediate results.

Option 3: Use a comma + coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, so, yet, for, nor)

• The software improved productivity, and companies saw immediate results.

What you CANNOT do:

• Run them together with no punctuation (run-on): The software improved productivity companies saw immediate results.
• Use only a comma (comma splice): The software improved productivity, companies saw immediate results.

In this question:

• The first complete thought discusses how VisiCalc improved recordkeeping
• The second complete thought provides contrast by explaining what life was like before VisiCalc
• These are substantial, distinct thoughts that work best as two separate sentences
• Therefore, a period is needed after "adjustments" to properly separate them