In a half cadence, the harmony ends on which chord and does not sound resolved?

• A. I
• B. V
• C. IV
• D. VI

Answer: (B)

A half cadence creates a sense of pause by ending on the dominant chord. The harmony lands on the five-chord, which is built on the fifth scale degree and carries a strong pull toward the tonic, but the phrase stops there instead of resolving. That unresolved tension is what makes the cadence feel incomplete. If the harmony ended on the tonic, the phrase would feel complete; ending on other chords would color the phrase differently and wouldn’t deliver the characteristic sense of anticipation that defines a half cadence.