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Difficulty: HardCommas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements

The following passage is an excerpt from a history of Mayan archaeology.

For decades, Mayan scholars believed that the hieroglyphs carved into stone stelae recorded only mythical stories and astronomical tables. In 1960, Tatiana Proskouriakoff published a breakthrough study of the glyphs at Piedras Negras. She demonstrated that the monument inscriptions, which were carved at regular intervals of five hotuns, actually detailed the births, accessions, and victories of historical rulers.

Which choice best punctuates the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. NO CHANGEAnswer
  2. B
    inscriptions, which were carved at regular intervals of five hotuns
  3. C
    inscriptions, that were carved at regular intervals of five hotuns,
  4. D
    inscriptions; which were carved at regular intervals of five hotuns,

Answer

The correct choice is the one that sets off the nonessential relative clause with a pair of commas, using 'which' and placing commas both after 'inscriptions' and after 'hotuns'.
The correct choice successfully identifies the clause as nonessential and uses a matching pair of commas to set it off. The relative pronoun 'which' is appropriate for nonrestrictive clauses, and commas are placed correctly after 'inscriptions' and after 'hotuns'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical role of the relative clause starting with 'which'.
The clause 'which were carved at regular intervals of five hotuns' is nonessential (nonrestrictive) because the noun phrase 'the monument inscriptions' is already specific, meaning the clause adds extra details rather than identifying which inscriptions are meant.
Determining whether a clause is essential or nonessential dictates the type of punctuation required.
2
Select the correct punctuation pattern for nonessential elements.
Nonessential elements must be set off from the rest of the sentence by a matching pair of punctuation marks, such as commas.
Setting off parenthetical information at both ends ensures clear sentence structure and flow.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that correctly implements a pair of commas and uses the appropriate relative pronoun.
The original phrasing correctly starts the nonessential clause with 'which' and surrounds it with commas. The option omitting the second comma, the option putting commas around 'that', and the option using a semicolon are incorrect.
Only one option adheres to all rules of punctuation and relative pronoun usage.

Key Concept

Commas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements
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Topics

Commas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements

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