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Question

Difficulty: HardCommas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements

For centuries, the intricate carvings on Mayan monuments remained an undeciphered mystery. In the late twentieth century, art historian Linda Schele, who studied the glyphs, that were carved on the temple, made a breakthrough by translating the history of Palenque. Her work revealed that the carvings were not mere symbols but a rich record of historical events.

Which of the following options is the correct punctuation for the underlined portion of the passage?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. Schele, who studied the glyphs that were carved on the temple, madeAnswer
  3. C
    Schele, who studied the glyphs that were carved on the temple made
  4. D
    Schele; who studied the glyphs that were carved on the temple, made

Answer

The correct answer is the option that correctly sets off the nonessential relative clause with commas while keeping the restrictive clause unpunctuated: 'Schele, who studied the glyphs that were carved on the temple, made'.
The correct option properly identifies that the relative clause starting with 'who' is nonessential because it modifies the specific proper noun 'Linda Schele'. Therefore, it must be enclosed by a pair of commas—one before 'who' and one after 'temple'. Additionally, the clause 'that were carved on the temple' is restrictive because it specifies which glyphs are being discussed; thus, it should not be set off by commas. This option achieves the correct balance by placing commas only at the boundaries of the nonessential clause.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the nonessential relative clause in the sentence.
The clause 'who studied the glyphs that were carved on the temple' modifies the proper noun 'Linda Schele' and is nonessential to the core meaning of the sentence.
Since 'Linda Schele' is a specific proper noun, any relative clause modifying her serves as extra, nonessential information.
2
Determine the correct punctuation for the nonessential clause.
The entire nonessential clause must be set off by a pair of commas: one before 'who' and one after 'temple'.
Nonessential elements must be isolated from the rest of the sentence using punctuation at both boundaries.
3
Analyze the restrictive clause 'that were carved on the temple' nested within the nonessential clause.
No commas should be placed around 'that were carved on the temple'.
The clause is essential (restrictive) because it specifies which glyphs are being referred to, meaning it should not be separated from 'glyphs' with punctuation.
4
Evaluate the choices to find the one that uses a pair of commas around the entire nonessential clause and no commas around the restrictive clause.
The option containing 'Schele, who studied the glyphs that were carved on the temple, made' is the only option that meets these criteria.
It places a comma after 'Schele' and after 'temple' while removing the incorrect comma before 'that'.

Key Concept

Commas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements
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Topics

Commas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements

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