The poem Beowulf begins with the word “hwæt,” which is an Old English ______ as “hark!” or “listen!” in some versions, the
word was playfully rendered as “bro!” by Maria Dahvana Headley in her 2020 translation of the poem.
exclamation, translated
exclamation and translated
exclamation translated
exclamation. Translated
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is
used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence ("The poem…exclamation") and another sentence that begins
with a supplementary element ("Translated…poem"). The supplementary element "translated as ‘hark!’ or ‘listen!’ in some
versions" modiﬁes the subject of the second sentence, "the word" (referring to hwæt).
Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice after "exclamation." A comma can’t be used in this way to mark
the boundary between sentences. Choice B is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction "and" can’t be used in
this way to join sentences. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice after "versions." A comma can’t be
used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences.