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Difficulty: HardCommas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements

The following passage contains an underlined portion.

In 1952, British biophysicist Rosalind Franklin captured a groundbreaking X-ray diffraction image of DNA. This photograph, which was known as Photo 51, showed a pattern that was crucial to Watson and Crick’s discovery of the double helix. Today, Franklin is widely recognized for her critical contributions to molecular biology.

Which of the following choices represents the correct punctuation for the underlined portion of the passage?

  1. NO CHANGEAnswer
  2. B
    photograph, which was known as Photo 51 showed a pattern that was crucial
  3. C
    photograph, which was known as Photo 51, showed a pattern, that was crucial,
  4. D
    photograph; which was known as Photo 51, showed a pattern that was crucial

Answer

The correct answer is the option that keeps the original punctuation, which correctly uses a pair of commas to set off the nonessential clause and leaves the restrictive clause unpunctuated.
The correct option correctly identifies 'which was known as Photo 51' as a nonessential clause and sets it off with a pair of commas. It also correctly recognizes 'that was crucial' as a restrictive clause and leaves it unpunctuated, maintaining the connection to its noun referent.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify nonessential (parenthetical) and essential (restrictive) elements in the sentence.
The clause 'which was known as Photo 51' is nonessential because removing it does not change the core meaning of the sentence. The clause 'that was crucial' is restrictive because it defines which specific pattern is being discussed.
Nonessential elements must be set off by commas, while restrictive elements must not be set off by commas.
2
Evaluate the punctuation around the nonessential element.
A pair of commas must enclose 'which was known as Photo 51', placing one comma after 'photograph' and another after 'Photo 51'.
Omitting either comma leaves a dangling punctuation mark and disrupts the grammatical structure.
3
Evaluate the punctuation around the restrictive element.
No commas should separate the noun 'pattern' from the relative clause 'that was crucial'.
Adding commas around a restrictive clause incorrectly isolates essential identifying information.

Key Concept

Commas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Commas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements

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