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Question

Difficulty: MediumCommas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements

During the nineteenth century, Japanese art exerted a profound influence on European Impressionists. The artist who created *The Great Wave off Kanagawa*, Katsushika Hokusai, lived a modest life despite his widespread fame. His innovative use of perspective and color transformed how Western artists depicted the natural world.

Which of the following options represents the correct punctuation for the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. NO CHANGEAnswer
  2. B
    , who created *The Great Wave off Kanagawa*, Katsushika Hokusai, lived
  3. C
    who created *The Great Wave off Kanagawa*, Katsushika Hokusai lived
  4. D
    who created *The Great Wave off Kanagawa*; Katsushika Hokusai, lived

Answer

The correct option is the one that leaves the sentence unchanged, correctly setting off only the nonessential appositive name with a pair of commas while keeping the restrictive clause integrated without commas.
The correct option maintains the proper punctuation: the restrictive clause is not set off by commas, and the nonessential appositive is enclosed by a pair of commas.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine if the relative clause is essential or nonessential.
The clause 'who created *The Great Wave off Kanagawa*' is essential (restrictive) because it specifies which particular artist is being discussed. Therefore, no comma should precede it.
Restrictive clauses are necessary for the sentence's meaning and should not be set off with commas.
2
Identify the role of the name following the relative clause.
The name 'Katsushika Hokusai' acts as an appositive. Since the preceding clause has already identified a unique artist, the name is nonessential (parenthetical) and must be enclosed in a pair of commas.
Nonessential appositives require commas both before and after them when they appear in the middle of a sentence.

Key Concept

Distinguishing between restrictive (essential) and nonrestrictive (nonessential) elements to apply commas correctly.
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Topics

Commas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements

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