For centuries, Mayan hieroglyphs remained a profound mystery to scholars who struggled to decipher the complex symbols. A breakthrough came when Yuri Knorozov, a Soviet linguist, proposed that the glyphs that were carved in stone, which had puzzled scholars for years, could finally be deciphered using a phonetic key.
Which choice best punctuates the underlined portion of the sentence?
- NO CHANGEAnswer
- Bthat were carved in stone, which had puzzled scholars for years could finally
- Cthat were carved in stone; which had puzzled scholars for years, could finally
- D, that were carved in stone, which had puzzled scholars for years, could finally
Answer
The correct answer is the option that leaves the sentence unchanged, keeping the restrictive clause unpunctuated and setting off the nonessential clause with a pair of commas.
The correct option preserves the original sentence, which is punctuated correctly. The clause 'that were carved in stone' is restrictive because it identifies the specific type of glyphs being discussed; therefore, it should not be preceded by a comma. The relative clause 'which had puzzled scholars for years' is nonessential and acts as a parenthetical element, so it must be enclosed by a pair of commas: one before 'which' and one after 'years'. The phrase 'could finally' correctly follows the nonessential clause to complete the predicate of the sentence.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Setting off nonessential parenthetical elements with a pair of commas while leaving restrictive clauses unpunctuated.
Estimated Time:1m 0s