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Difficulty: EasyCommas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements

The architect Antoni Gaudí designed several whimsical buildings in Spain. The historic cathedral, which is located in Barcelona, remains unfinished today. Despite this, it attracts millions of visitors every year.

Which choice best punctuates the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. NO CHANGEAnswer
  2. B
    cathedral, which is located in Barcelona remains
  3. C
    cathedral; which is located in Barcelona, remains
  4. D
    cathedral, that is located in Barcelona, remains

Answer

The correct choice is 'NO CHANGE' because it correctly sets off the nonessential relative clause with commas on both sides.
The clause 'which is located in Barcelona' is nonessential because it adds extra, non-defining information about the cathedral. Nonessential clauses must be set off by a matched pair of commas—one before the clause starts and one after it ends. The option 'NO CHANGE' correctly places a comma before 'which' and another after 'Barcelona'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine if the clause 'which is located in Barcelona' is essential or nonessential to the sentence.
The clause is nonessential because the identity of the specific cathedral is already clear in context, and removing the clause does not change the core meaning of the sentence.
Nonessential information must be set off with punctuation on both sides.
2
Select the option that uses correct punctuation to enclose the nonessential relative clause.
A pair of commas must enclose the clause, starting with 'which'.
Omitting one comma, using a semicolon, or using commas around a 'that' clause violates standard punctuation rules.

Key Concept

Using a matched pair of commas to set off nonessential relative clauses.
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Topics

Commas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements

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