In 1418, the builders of the Florence Cathedral faced a seemingly impossible engineering challenge: constructing a massive dome without any temporary wooden scaffolding. The architect Filippo Brunelleschi ______ devised an ingenious solution that utilized a herringbone brick pattern to distribute weight. This self-supporting design allowed the dome to be built without collapsing inward during construction, forever altering the course of Renaissance architecture.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- A—who had studied the ancient construction techniques of the Roman Pantheon,
- Bwho had studied the ancient construction techniques of the Roman Pantheon,
- , who had studied the ancient construction techniques of the Roman Pantheon,Answer
- D, who had studied the ancient construction techniques of the Roman Pantheon
Answer
The phrase that begins and ends with a comma: ', who had studied the ancient construction techniques of the Roman Pantheon,'
The relative clause 'who had studied the ancient construction techniques of the Roman Pantheon' provides extra, nonrestrictive information about Filippo Brunelleschi. In Standard Written English, nonessential elements must be set off from the rest of the sentence using matching punctuation marks on both sides. The correct choice employs a pair of commas to appropriately isolate the clause. Other options fail because they create asymmetrical punctuation by mixing different marks or omitting one of the boundary markers.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Punctuation of Nonessential Elements
Estimated Time:1m 0s