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Commas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements

86 questions

Question 81Question →

The following passage contains an underlined portion.

During the late nineteenth century, the Hudson River School painters captured the vastness of the American wilderness. Albert Bierstadt, an artist who traveled extensively throughout the American West depicted these rugged landscapes with dramatic light and sweeping detail, capturing the imagination of viewers who had never traveled beyond the East Coast. Today, his paintings remain iconic representations of the American frontier.

Which of the following choices represents the most grammatically correct punctuation for the underlined portion of the sentence?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: an artist who traveled extensively throughout the American West,

Answer

The correct option is the one that includes a comma after the word 'West' to properly close the nonessential appositive phrase describing the artist.
The nonessential appositive phrase 'an artist who traveled extensively throughout the American West' describes the subject 'Albert Bierstadt.' Because the sentence already contains an opening comma before this phrase, a closing comma must be placed after 'West' to set it off. This correctly separates the parenthetical description from the main verb 'depicted.'

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the subject and verb of the main clause.
The subject is 'Albert Bierstadt' and the main verb is 'depicted.'
Locating the core subject and verb helps identify where modifying or parenthetical information starts and ends.
2
Determine if the underlined phrase is essential or nonessential to the sentence.
The phrase 'an artist who traveled extensively throughout the American West' is an appositive that provides additional descriptive details about Albert Bierstadt, which means it is nonessential (nonrestrictive).
Nonessential elements must be set off from the main clause by a pair of commas.
3
Check the surrounding punctuation to ensure the nonessential phrase is properly enclosed.
An opening comma is already present after 'Albert Bierstadt,' so a matching closing comma must be placed at the end of the phrase, directly after the word 'West.'
Using a single comma instead of a pair leaves the punctuation dangling and incorrectly merges the nonessential modifier with the predicate.

Key Concept

Nonessential elements, such as appositives and parenthetical phrases, must be set off from the main sentence by a pair of matching punctuation marks, usually commas.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 82Question →

The single-celled slime mold *Physarum polycephalum* lacks a brain, yet it can solve complex mazes to find food. As it moves, the organism deposits a trail of translucent secretion behind it. This extracellular slime, which contains a chemical compound that is soluble, helps the mold navigate by signaling which paths it has already explored.

Which of the following choices best punctuates the underlined portion of the passage?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: NO CHANGE

Answer

The correct choice is 'NO CHANGE' because it properly closes the nonessential clause with a comma while keeping the restrictive modifier free of punctuation.
The correct choice is the one that places a comma after 'soluble' to close the nonessential clause starting with 'which' without inserting commas around the restrictive modifier 'that is soluble.'

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the main subject and verb, and locate any intervening clauses.
The main subject is 'This extracellular slime' and the main verb is 'helps.' The clause 'which contains a chemical compound that is soluble' is an intervening nonessential element.
Nonessential relative clauses must be enclosed by a pair of commas to separate them from the main sentence structure.
2
Analyze the sub-clause 'that is soluble' to determine if it is restrictive or nonrestrictive.
The clause 'that is soluble' is restrictive because it restricts the meaning of 'compound' to a specific type, so it must not have commas around it.
Restrictive clauses are essential to the meaning of a sentence and should not be set off by commas.
3
Combine these punctuation decisions to find the correct choice.
A comma is required after 'soluble' to close the nonessential clause, and no commas should surround 'that is soluble.' This corresponds to 'NO CHANGE.'
This choice correctly coordinates the punctuation of both the nonessential relative clause and the restrictive clause.

Key Concept

Commas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements
Question 83Question →

The following passage is about the development of the periodic table.

In 1869, the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev published his first version of the periodic table. He organized the elements by their atomic masses, leaving gaps for elements that had not yet been discovered. The predicted elements, which Mendeleev described in detail were later isolated and found to match his predictions with remarkable accuracy.

Which choice best punctuates the underlined portion of the passage?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: elements, which Mendeleev described in detail,

Answer

elements, which Mendeleev described in detail,
The clause 'which Mendeleev described in detail' is nonessential because the noun phrase it modifies, 'The predicted elements,' is already specific. Therefore, the clause must be enclosed by a pair of commas. The option containing a comma after both 'elements' and 'detail' is correct.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the clause within the sentence structure.
The clause 'which Mendeleev described in detail' modifies 'predicted elements'.
Determining the boundary of the clause helps determine where punctuation is needed.
2
Determine if the clause is essential (restrictive) or nonessential (nonrestrictive).
The clause is nonessential because 'predicted elements' already clearly specifies which elements are being discussed; removing the clause does not change the core meaning of the sentence.
Nonessential elements must be set off with punctuation, whereas essential elements should not be punctuated.
3
Apply the correct punctuation rule for nonessential relative clauses.
The relative clause must be enclosed by a pair of commas (one before 'which' and one after 'detail').
Using a pair of commas correctly isolates the parenthetical information without interrupting the flow of the main sentence.

Key Concept

Nonessential (parenthetical) relative clauses must be set off by a pair of commas.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 84Question →

The following passage is about the history of climate science.

In 1856, the American scientist Eunice Foote conducted pioneering experiments on the warming effects of various gases. She discovered that a receiver filled with carbon dioxide heated up much more than one filled with common air. Ultimately, she concluded that carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that absorbs heat, could significantly alter the Earth's climate.

Which of the following options represents the correct punctuation for the underlined portion of the sentence?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: NO CHANGE

Answer

The correct option is the one that leaves the sentence unchanged, as it correctly uses a pair of commas to enclose the nonessential appositive phrase and does not introduce unnecessary punctuation within the restrictive clause.
The correct option correctly uses a pair of commas to set off the nonessential appositive phrase 'a greenhouse gas that absorbs heat.' Because this phrase is descriptive and can be removed without affecting the main sentence's meaning, it must be enclosed by commas. Additionally, the restrictive relative clause 'that absorbs heat' is correctly left unpunctuated because it is essential to the meaning of the noun 'gas'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify whether the underlined phrase is essential or nonessential to the sentence.
The phrase 'a greenhouse gas that absorbs heat' is a nonessential appositive that describes 'carbon dioxide'. Removing it does not change the core grammatical structure or meaning of the sentence.
Nonessential elements must be set off from the rest of the sentence with punctuation, typically commas.
2
Determine the appropriate placement of commas around the nonessential phrase.
A pair of commas is needed: one before the phrase (after 'dioxide') and one after the phrase (after 'heat').
Single dangling commas fail to enclose parenthetical information and create punctuation errors.
3
Analyze internal punctuation of the phrase for restrictive modifiers.
The clause 'that absorbs heat' is a restrictive relative clause modifying 'greenhouse gas' and must not be separated from it by a comma.
Restrictive clauses are essential to define their referent and should never be enclosed in commas.
4
Evaluate the choices to find the one that matches these rules.
The original sentence has a comma after 'dioxide' and after 'heat', and no comma before 'that'. Semicolons cannot set off nonessential appositives because they are not independent clauses.
This confirms that the original punctuation is correct and no change is needed.

Key Concept

Commas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements
Question 85Question →

During the Edo period in Japan, artists perfected the genre of woodblock printing known as ukiyo-e. These vibrant prints, which depicted scenes of theater, travel, and daily life, became highly popular among the merchant class. Because this collaborative production method involved an artist, a carver, and a publisher, workshops could easily mass-produce the prints for a growing audience.

Which choice most effectively punctuates the underlined portion of the passage?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: NO CHANGE

Answer

NO CHANGE
The underlined portion is correct as written. The relative clause starting with 'which' is nonessential because it provides extra descriptive information about 'prints' that is not necessary to identify them. Nonessential clauses must be set off from the rest of the sentence with commas both before and after the clause.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the clause embedded within the sentence.
The clause is 'which depicted scenes of theater, travel, and daily life'.
Determining the boundaries of the clause helps analyze its punctuation needs.
2
Determine if the clause is essential (restrictive) or nonessential (nonrestrictive) to the meaning of the sentence.
The clause is nonessential because 'These vibrant prints' is already specific; the clause only adds descriptive detail.
Nonessential elements must be set off with a pair of commas, whereas essential elements should not have commas.
3
Select the option that correctly sets off this nonessential relative clause with two commas.
The correct choice is the original phrasing, which has a comma before 'which' and a comma after 'life'.
Only the correct choice provides balanced punctuation for the nonessential clause without introducing errors like semicolons or restrictive relative pronouns.

Key Concept

Commas with Nonessential and Parenthetical Elements
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Question 86Question →

The following passage is about a famous scientific discovery.

In 1938, Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer noticed a strange blue fish in a local fisherman's catch. The coelacanth , a prehistoric fish, that scientists believed was extinct, was rediscovered through this single specimen. This ground-breaking find shocked the scientific community and rewrote the history of vertebrate evolution.

Which choice best punctuates the underlined portion of the sentence?

Show answer & explanation

Answer: , a prehistoric fish that scientists believed was extinct, was rediscovered

Answer

The correct choice is the option that correctly sets off the nonessential appositive phrase with a pair of commas while keeping the restrictive clause within it unpunctuated: ', a prehistoric fish that scientists believed was extinct, was rediscovered'.
The correct option properly identifies the entire phrase 'a prehistoric fish that scientists believed was extinct' as a nonessential appositive that requires a pair of commas to set it off from the main clause. Additionally, it correctly recognizes that the relative clause starting with 'that' is restrictive and must not be separated from 'fish' by a comma.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the nonessential element in the sentence.
The phrase 'a prehistoric fish that scientists believed was extinct' is an appositive modifying 'coelacanth' and is nonessential to the main clause.
Nonessential elements must be set off from the rest of the sentence by a pair of commas, dashes, or parentheses.
2
Analyze the relative clause within the appositive.
The relative clause 'that scientists believed was extinct' is restrictive because it specifies which prehistoric fish is being referred to.
Restrictive clauses should not be separated from their referent by commas.
3
Select the option that correctly applies these rules.
The option starting with a comma and ending with a comma after the restrictive clause is correct.
It correctly encloses the entire nonessential appositive with a pair of commas without incorrectly placing a comma before the restrictive clause.

Key Concept

Using commas to enclose nonessential elements while leaving restrictive clauses unpunctuated.
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