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Difficulty: MediumCommas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements

Created in the early 1830s, *The Great Wave off Kanagawa* is one of the most recognizable works of Japanese art. The woodblock print, which depicts three boats navigating a towering wave, features the iconic Prussian blue pigment. This masterpiece helped secure Hokusai's legacy as a pioneer in landscape composition.

Which of the following options correctly punctuates the underlined portion of the sentence?

  1. NO CHANGEAnswer
  2. B
    print; which depicts three boats navigating a towering wave,
  3. C
    print, which depicts three boats navigating a towering wave
  4. D
    print, that depicts three boats navigating a towering wave,

Answer

NO CHANGE
The correct option properly uses a pair of commas to set off the nonessential relative clause, keeping the sentence grammatically complete and clear.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine if the underlined clause provides essential or nonessential information.
The clause 'which depicts three boats navigating a towering wave' provides additional descriptive information about the woodblock print but is not essential for identifying it. Thus, it is nonessential.
Nonessential information must be set off by punctuation, whereas essential information should not be separated.
2
Apply the correct punctuation to enclose the nonessential element.
Since the nonessential clause is positioned in the middle of the sentence, it must be enclosed by a pair of commas: one after 'print' and one after 'wave'.
A pair of commas prevents the sentence from feeling interrupted or grammatically incorrect.

Key Concept

Commas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements
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Topics

Commas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements

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