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Difficulty: EasyCommas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements

During Napoleon’s military campaign in Egypt, French soldiers uncovered a large stone slab near the town of Rashid. The artifact , which featured the same decree written in three different scripts, eventually allowed scholars to decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. This breakthrough opened a window into a civilization that had been silent for centuries.

Which of the following choices is the best punctuation for the underlined portion of the passage?

  1. NO CHANGEAnswer
  2. B
    , that featured the same decree written in three different scripts,
  3. C
    , which featured the same decree written in three different scripts
  4. D
    ; which featured the same decree written in three different scripts

Answer

The option containing the relative pronoun 'which' enclosed by a pair of commas
The clause 'which featured the same decree written in three different scripts' is nonessential because the sentence remains grammatically complete and clear without it. Nonessential elements in the middle of a sentence must be set off by a pair of commas. The original phrasing correctly starts the clause with a comma before 'which' and closes it with a comma after 'scripts'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine if the underlined clause is essential or nonessential to the meaning of the sentence.
The clause 'which featured the same decree written in three different scripts' provides optional descriptive details about the Rosetta Stone artifact. Because the identity of the artifact is already established, the clause is nonessential.
Nonessential clauses must be set off from the rest of the sentence using punctuation.
2
Choose the punctuation pattern that correctly isolates the nonessential clause.
A pair of commas (one before the relative pronoun 'which' and one after the noun phrase 'three different scripts') must enclose the clause. The relative pronoun 'which' is standard for nonessential relative clauses.
Omitting one of the commas, using the restrictive pronoun 'that' with commas, or using a semicolon to separate the clause all violate standard grammatical conventions.

Key Concept

Commas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Commas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements

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