The following sentence is punctuated properly: "I need to know whether you are able to perform the following functions of the job: revising existing marketing materials, promoting the company at trade shows, and reaching potential customers through direct mail campaigns." (3).
There should be a colon after the first clause because the second part of the sentence is a list of items (in this case, a list of the "functions of the job").
A comma would be too weak in this case because it would fail to express this idea of a list of specific examples completing the independent clause.
A semicolon would be inaccurate because they are usually used between two independent clauses when you don't want to link them with a conjunction (like <em>and</em>). They are stronger than a comma and weaker than a period. In this sentence however, the second part is not an independent clause but a list without a verb.
Answer:
Based on the excerpt, the best answer is:
1. a rise in the popularity of bicycles.
Explanation:
According to the excerpt, the rise in the popularity of bicycles helped freeing women from heavy clothes and undergarments. Since they would hinder women who wished to ride bicycles, corsets, long dresses, and bulky undergarments were quickly substituted by healthier, lighter pieces of clothing that allowed women to ride bicycles easily.
B. The sentence needs a clearer controlling idea
Kafka uses peculiar and round-about ways of saying things when talking about Gregor in order to convey the complications that Gregor's personality presents. Gregor is a man who is completely controlled by the expectations that society and his family have of him. He knows that he should work hard, be responsible, sacrifice everything for his family and be the breadwinner. These are the expectations that dominate his whole life. The reason why he is so overwhelmed by them is because these stem from his social context, and not from his personal goals or dreams.
Kafka choice of language in this passage reflects this feeling. Gregor is constantly doing what he <em>ought</em> to do, and not what he <em>wants</em> to do or what he believes in. Even when going through extremely frightening and confusing situations, he remembers that what he ought to do is remain calm. And he strives to satisfy this expectation, regardless of what his true feelings might be.
