Which is punctuated correctly?
a. Shannon conducted extensive research for her essay; however, she cited only her primary sources.
b. Joey continued to work hard throughout the semester therefore he earned another reward.
a. Shannon conducted extensive research for her essay; however, she cited only her primary sources.
The sentence that is punctuated correctly is:
a. Shannon conducted extensive research for her essay; however, she cited only her primary sources.
Explanation: A semicolon (;) is used to separate two independent clauses when they are closely related in meaning. In option a, the semicolon is used correctly to separate the independent clauses "Shannon conducted extensive research for her essay" and "she cited only her primary sources."
Option b is not punctuated correctly. The word "therefore" should be preceded by a semicolon or a period, not a comma, since it is connecting two independent clauses. A possible correct punctuation could be: "Joey continued to work hard throughout the semester; therefore, he earned another reward."