Which sentences from the passage would best be linked with a semicolon?
A. Nervously, Della stared at the bright red door. She hadn’t turned this doorknob in many years.
B. She hadn’t turned this doorknob in many years. The wind tickled her closely-shaven head.
C. She no longer had long brown locks to dance in the breeze. Della heard Pluto barking inside.
D. Della heard Pluto barking inside. She adjusted the bag on her shoulder and reached for the knob.
The sentences that would best be linked with a semicolon are:
D. Della heard Pluto barking inside; she adjusted the bag on her shoulder and reached for the knob.
Explanation: A semicolon can be used to connect two closely related independent clauses. In this case, both parts of sentence D can stand alone as complete thoughts, making them a good pair to connect with a semicolon. By doing so, it creates a smoother transition between Della hearing Pluto and her action of adjusting the bag and reaching for the knob.