Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasyDashes

Maya Angelou wrote seven autobiographies during her lifetime. The first of these books [underlined]—*I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings*, which was published in 1969, became[/underlined] a landmark of American literature.

Which of the following choices best replaces the underlined portion to ensure proper punctuation?

  1. A
    —*I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings*, which was published in 1969, became
  2. —*I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings*, which was published in 1969—becameAnswer
  3. C
    ; *I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings*, which was published in 1969; became
  4. D
    , *I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings*, which was published in 1969; became

Answer

The version that matches the opening dash with a closing dash before the verb 'became' is correct.
The correct option uses a matching dash after '1969' to pair with the dash that appears before the book title. This creates a consistent pair of dashes setting off the nonessential appositive phrase describing the book.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the nonessential information in the sentence that is being set off.
The phrase '*I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings*, which was published in 1969' is nonessential appositive information detailing the first book.
Recognizing the boundaries of nonessential information helps determine where the surrounding punctuation must go.
2
Check the punctuation mark that introduces the nonessential phrase.
The phrase is introduced with a dash.
Consistent punctuation is required; a dash at the beginning of a parenthetical insertion must be paired with another dash at the end of the insertion.
3
Select the option that terminates the phrase with a matching dash before resuming the main clause.
The correct option ends the nonessential phrase with a dash right before the verb 'became'.
This ensures the sentence is grammatically correct and consistent in its punctuation.

Key Concept

Dashes are used to set off nonessential (parenthetical) information in a sentence. When doing so, the punctuation marks must be consistent: either a pair of commas or a pair of dashes. A dash at the beginning of a nonessential phrase must be matched by a dash at the end.
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Topics

Dashes

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