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Question

Difficulty: EasyCommas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements

The local community center recently launched a rooftop garden project to promote urban sustainability. The garden, which features solar-powered irrigation, grows organic vegetables for nearby families. Volunteers hope this initiative will inspire other neighborhoods to start their own green spaces.

Which of the following choices is the correct punctuation for the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. garden, which features solar-powered irrigation, growsAnswer
  2. B
    garden, which features solar-powered irrigation grows
  3. C
    garden, that features solar-powered irrigation, grows
  4. D
    garden; which features solar-powered irrigation, grows

Answer

The correct option is the one that reads 'garden, which features solar-powered irrigation, grows'.
The correct choice is the one that sets off the nonessential relative clause 'which features solar-powered irrigation' with a pair of commas (one after 'garden' and one after 'irrigation'). This correctly indicates that the clause contains extra, nonessential information that can be removed without changing the core meaning of the sentence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the clause 'which features solar-powered irrigation' as a nonessential relative clause because it provides extra descriptive information about the garden but is not required to identify which specific garden is being discussed.
The clause must be set off from the rest of the sentence with punctuation on both sides.
Nonessential elements require punctuation (usually commas) to separate them from the main independent clause.
2
Evaluate the punctuation choices to ensure the clause is properly enclosed.
A comma must be placed after 'garden' and another comma after 'irrigation' to completely enclose the nonessential clause. Using a semicolon creates a fragment, and using commas around a 'that' clause is incorrect because 'that' introduces essential clauses which should not have commas.
Only the choice with commas on both sides of 'which features solar-powered irrigation' is grammatically correct.

Key Concept

Nonessential clauses must be set off with a pair of commas, whereas restrictive clauses should not be punctuated with commas.
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Commas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements

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