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Difficulty: MediumCommas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements

In the mid-twentieth century, researchers mapped the ocean floor using sonar. The maps that Tharp created, which she drafted by hand, proved the existence of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This discovery supported the theory of continental drift and revolutionized modern geology.

Which of the following choices best punctuates the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. that Tharp created, which she drafted by hand,Answer
  2. B
    that Tharp created; which she drafted by hand,
  3. C
    , that Tharp created, which she drafted by hand,
  4. D
    that Tharp created, which she drafted by hand

Answer

The correct answer is the option that leaves the restrictive clause unpunctuated and sets off the nonessential clause with a pair of commas.
The correct answer correctly leaves the restrictive clause 'that Tharp created' unpunctuated and sets off the nonessential relative clause 'which she drafted by hand' with a matching pair of commas.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the clause 'that Tharp created' to determine if it is essential (restrictive) or nonessential (nonrestrictive).
Since 'that Tharp created' specifies which particular maps proved the existence of the ridge, it is restrictive and must not be separated from 'The maps' by a comma.
Restrictive clauses are necessary to define the noun they modify and should never be enclosed in commas.
2
Analyze the clause 'which she drafted by hand' to determine if it is essential or nonessential.
The clause 'which she drafted by hand' provides additional, nonessential information about the maps and must be set off with a pair of commas.
Nonessential elements must be set off by parenthetical punctuation (commas, dashes, or parentheses) to indicate they can be removed without changing the core meaning of the sentence.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that correctly applies these rules.
The original phrasing contains no comma before 'that' and has commas both before 'which' and after 'hand'.
Only this arrangement correctly maintains the distinction between the restrictive and nonrestrictive elements.

Key Concept

Commas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements
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Topics

Commas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements

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