Question

Read the passage. (1) William Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. (2) It is a town in England. (3) He is believed to have attended the King’s New School there from age seven to age fourteen. (4) Teachers were strict in Shakespeare’s day. (5) The school day was long. (6) In the summer, school started at 6 a.m. (7) School did not end until 5 p.m. (8) In the winter, the school day was an hour or two shorter. (9) At age nine, students began learning Latin. (10) It was the language of international affairs. (11) In school, students spoke Latin. (12) Teachers also spoke Latin. (13) Students caught speaking English in school were punished. Which is the most effective way to combine sentences (4) and (5)? The school day being long in Shakespeare’s day and teachers strict. Teachers were strict in Shakespeare’s day, and the school day was long. If teachers were strict in Shakespeare’s day, the school day was long. Teachers being strict in Shakespeare’s day, the school day was long.

Answer 1

Teachers were strict in Shakespeare’s day, and the school day was long.

Answer 2

The answer is B.

The most effective way to combine the sentences (4) and (5) in the passage is, as presented in option B, adding a comma and the coordenating conjunction 'and': "Teachers were...in Shakespeare's day, and the school..." The function of a comma and a coordenating conjunction is to join together two independent clauses (the clauses that can stand on their own.)