Question

Fill in the blanks with the correct punctuation mark, a comma or a semicolon. William Shakespeare was a truly extraordinary artisthe wrote dramas and poetry. Not only did he write tragediesbut he also wrote comedies and histories. He died when he was just fifty-two years oldmoreoverit has been speculated that he died on his birthday.

Answer 1

Explanation:

The first sentence uses a semicolon because it connects two independent clauses.

The second sentence joins clauses with the coordinating conjunction but, so it only needs a comma.

In sentence three, the first blank needs to be a semicolon because it comes before the conjunctive adverb moreover.

In contrast, the final blank should be a comma as it joins moreover with the rest of its clause.

Answer 2

William Shakespeare was a truly extraordinary artist, he wrote dramas and poetry. Not only did he write tragedies, but he also wrote comedies and histories. He died when he was just fifty-two years old moreover it has been speculated that he died on his birthday.