The food was delicious __ but it's too expensive. Which punctuation should precede the coordinating conjunction before the contrasting clause?

• A. Colon
• B. Dash
• C. Comma
• D. Semicolon

Answer: (C)

Connecting two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction requires a comma before the conjunction. In this sentence, “The food was delicious” and “it’s too expensive” are two complete thoughts joined by “but.” The comma before the conjunction keeps the sentence correct: The food was delicious, but it’s too expensive. A colon would imply explanation or elaboration after the first clause, which isn’t the case here. A dash can add emphasis or a sudden pause, but isn’t the standard choice in ordinary writing. A semicolon would join two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction, which doesn’t fit when “but” is present.