Question

Difficulty: Very hardPunctuation of Nonessential Elements

In 1915, amateur astronomer George Willis Ritchey designed a reflecting telescope that utilized a hyperbolic primary mirror to eliminate spherical aberration. This innovative configuration ______ represented a monumental leap forward in optical engineering, though it remained largely unappreciated until the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope decades later.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

  1. —a design that was later refined by French astronomer Henri Chrétien—Answer
  2. B
    , a design that was later refined by French astronomer Henri Chrétien—
  3. C
    —a design that was later refined by French astronomer Henri Chrétien,
  4. D
    a design that was later refined by French astronomer Henri Chrétien,

Answer

The choice that uses matching em dashes to set off the nonessential phrase: '—a design that was later refined by French astronomer Henri Chrétien—'
The correct answer properly isolates the nonessential appositive phrase by using matching em dashes at both its beginning and its end. This conforms to standard punctuation rules for setting off parenthetical information.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the nonessential element within the sentence.
The phrase 'a design that was later refined by French astronomer Henri Chrétien' is an appositive that provides descriptive details about 'This innovative configuration' but is not grammatically essential to the main clause.
Determining which elements are nonessential establishes where boundary punctuation must be placed.
2
Determine the punctuation conventions for setting off nonessential elements.
Standard English conventions require that nonessential or parenthetical elements be set off with matching punctuation marks: either two commas, two em dashes, or parentheses.
Using mismatched punctuation marks (such as a comma and an em dash) creates asymmetrical punctuation errors.
3
Select the option that features symmetrical punctuation around the nonessential phrase.
Only the option using an em dash at both the beginning and the end of the phrase meets the symmetry requirement.
This maintains structural consistency and conforms to standard grammatical rules.

Key Concept

Punctuation of Nonessential Elements
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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