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Question

Difficulty: MediumDashes

Artemisia Gentileschi, a prominent Baroque painter, is celebrated today for her dynamic and dramatic compositions. Her most famous [work—*Judith Slaying Holofernes*, showcases] her mastery of chiaroscuro, a technique that uses strong contrasts between light and dark to create a sense of volume. While many of her contemporaries focused on idealized figures, Gentileschi depicted her subjects with raw, unfiltered emotion.

Which choice represents the correct punctuation for the underlined portion in brackets?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    work; *Judith Slaying Holofernes* showcases
  3. work—*Judith Slaying Holofernes*—showcasesAnswer
  4. D
    work—*Judith Slaying Holofernes* showcases

Answer

The choice that uses a pair of dashes, 'work—*Judith Slaying Holofernes*—showcases', is correct.
The correct option correctly uses a matched pair of dashes to enclose the nonessential appositive '*Judith Slaying Holofernes*'. When a dash is used to introduce a parenthetical element, another dash must be used to close it before the sentence resumes with the verb.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the parenthetical or nonessential element in the sentence.
The title of the painting, '*Judith Slaying Holofernes*', acts as an appositive explaining which work is being referred to, making it a nonessential element.
Nonessential elements must be set off from the rest of the sentence by consistent punctuation marks on both sides.
2
Evaluate the punctuation surrounding the nonessential element.
The sentence begins the nonessential element with a dash after 'work'. Therefore, it must also end the nonessential element with a dash before the verb 'showcases'.
Punctuation pairs (dashes, commas, or parentheses) must be consistent; you cannot open a nonessential phrase with a dash and close it with a comma.

Key Concept

Consistent use of punctuation pairs to set off nonessential or parenthetical elements in a sentence.
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