The correct answer is **Sara bought three new pairs of shoes, even though she had put herself on a tight budget just last week.** (Option 2). **Comprehensive Derivation:** The correct answer is - "Sara bought three new pairs of shoes, even though she had put herself on a tight budget just last week." Explanation & Key Takeaways: • From the given options, the most appropriate answer is "Sara bought three new pairs of shoes, even though she had put herself on a tight budget just last week." • Commas (,) is used to separate words, pharses or clausess inserted into the body of a sentence. • Eg. Money is, after all, of prime concern. • Full stop (.) is used to mark the end of an assertive or an imperative sentence. • Eg. I will go to the school. • Thus, Option 2 is correct option. **Option Elimination:** • **Option 1 (Sara bought three new pairs of shoes, even though, she had put herself on a tight budget just last week.)**: Incorrect distractor. • **Option 2 (Sara bought three new pairs of shoes, even though she had put herself on a tight budget just last week.)**: Correct Answer; accurate according to canonical reference. • **Option 3 (Sara bought three new pairs of shoes. Even though she had put herself on a tight budget just last week.)**: Incorrect distractor. • **Option 4 (Sara bought three new pairs of shoes; even though she, had put herself on a tight budget just last week.)**: Incorrect distractor. **Exam Trap:** Be careful of misleading distractors and subtle terminology differences. Verify core properties before selecting your answer. **Memory Booster:** Core mnemonic rule: Sara bought three new pairs of shoes, even though she had put herself on a tight budget just last week. corresponds to Option (2).