Question

Difficulty: EasyCommas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements

During a stormy summer in Switzerland, Mary Shelley began writing her famous novel *Frankenstein*. The young author, who was only eighteen at the time, drew inspiration from conversations about galvanism and scientific discoveries. Today, the book is celebrated as a pioneering masterpiece of science fiction.

Which choice is the correct punctuation for the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. NO CHANGEAnswer
  2. B
    , that was only eighteen at the time,
  3. C
    ; who was only eighteen at the time,
  4. D
    , who was only eighteen at the time

Answer

NO CHANGE
The correct choice is 'NO CHANGE' because the clause 'who was only eighteen at the time' is a nonessential relative clause. It provides extra, parenthetical information about the young author. Nonessential clauses must be set off from the rest of the sentence by a matching pair of commas—one before the clause and one after it.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify whether the underlined clause 'who was only eighteen at the time' is essential (restrictive) or nonessential (nonrestrictive) to the meaning of the sentence.
The clause is nonessential because the subject 'The young author' is already clearly identified, and removing the clause does not change the core meaning of the sentence.
Nonessential elements must be set off from the rest of the sentence using commas, dashes, or parentheses.
2
Punctuate the nonessential clause correctly by surrounding it with a pair of commas.
The clause starts after 'author' and ends after 'time', requiring a comma in both locations: ', who was only eighteen at the time,'.
Enclosing a nonessential clause with a matching pair of commas correctly separates it from the main clause without disrupting the subject-verb connection.

Key Concept

Setting off nonessential relative clauses with a pair of commas.
Estimated Time:45s
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