Question

Many of my favorite ice cream flavors, ____________ chocolate chip and strawberry, are also available as frozen yogurt.

Short answer

'like' or 'such as'

Step-by-step solution

Identify The Sentence Structure

Here we can observe that the sentence is a list of the speaker's favorite ice cream flavors. Lists in English are often separated by commas for readability and clarity.

Insert Appropriate Punctuation

Looking at the construction of the sentence, the correct punctuation to insert would be 'like' or 'such as' to indicate an example of the list of favorite flavors.

Complete The Sentence

According to the previous steps, the correct word to fill in the blank would be 'like' or 'such as', so the complete sentence is 'Many of my favorite ice cream flavors, like chocolate chip and strawberry, are also available as frozen yogurt.' or 'Many of my favorite ice cream flavors, such as chocolate chip and strawberry, are also available as frozen yogurt.'

Key concepts

Sentence Structure

Understanding sentence structure is essential for constructing clear and coherent sentences. In our example, "Many of my favorite ice cream flavors, ____________ chocolate chip and strawberry, are also available as frozen yogurt," we can see a basic structure of a subject, verb, and complement.
- **Subject**: "Many of my favorite ice cream flavors"
- **Verb**: "are"
- **Complement**: "also available as frozen yogurt."
This sentence is structured around a list which is introduced after a pause, provided by a comma. **The subject** here is the list of ice cream flavors, which we are describing further with examples in the blank space.
To create complex sentence structures, consider how parts of sentences relate to each other. Are you listing items, adding details, or providing evidence for a claim? Understanding this helps in choosing appropriate words and punctuation.

Punctuation

Punctuation is the glue that holds sentence parts together and ensures meaning is conveyed accurately. In the example sentence, punctuation plays a crucial role: - **Commas** are used to set apart list items and to introduce non-essential elements that provide additional information.
- Proper placement of commas is crucial to avoid confusion.
For our sentence, placing commas around "chocolate chip and strawberry" shows that this is additional information offering examples of favorite flavors. This commas placement helps clarify that these are specific instances from a broader category.
Additionally, inserting phrases like "such as" or "like" creates a smooth transition into the list, facilitated by the surrounding commas. Punctuation can direct a reader's understanding of what is primary or supplementary in a sentence.

List Construction

Lists in English can make your writing easy to read, especially when listing multiple items or examples. In the sentence "Many of my favorite ice cream flavors, ____________ chocolate chip and strawberry, are also available as frozen yogurt," list construction is employed to refine the statement.
Here are some key tips for constructing effective lists:

• **Use introductory markers**: Words like "such as" or "like" indicate that a list will follow.
• **Utilize punctuation correctly**: Commas help to separate each list item, and introductory markers make the transition into the list clear.
• **Ensure parallel structure**: Each element in the list should match grammatically, maintaining consistency and clarity.

By following these tips, your lists will be clear and organized, making your writing more impactful and easier to understand. Lists provide a concise way to present information, particularly when examples are given to support a general statement.