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Question

Difficulty: EasyPunctuation of Nonessential Elements

The Titan arum _______ emits a foul odor resembling decaying meat to attract carrion beetles and flesh flies for pollination.

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

  1. A
    , a giant flowering plant native to the rainforests of Sumatra—
  2. —a giant flowering plant native to the rainforests of Sumatra—Answer
  3. C
    —a giant flowering plant native to the rainforests of Sumatra,
  4. D
    a giant flowering plant native to the rainforests of Sumatra,

Answer

—a giant flowering plant native to the rainforests of Sumatra—
The correct answer uses a matching pair of em dashes to properly set off the nonessential appositive phrase describing the Titan arum. Nonessential elements in a sentence must be set off by matching punctuation marks, such as two commas, two parentheses, or two em dashes.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the nonessential element in the sentence.
The phrase 'a giant flowering plant native to the rainforests of Sumatra' is an appositive that provides extra information about the subject 'Titan arum'. It is nonessential because removing it leaves the main clause grammatically complete: 'The Titan arum emits a foul odor...'
Recognizing the boundaries of a nonessential element is necessary to determine where the setting-off punctuation must be placed.
2
Check the options for matching punctuation pairs.
The nonessential element must be enclosed by identical punctuation marks at its start and end. The only option that offers a matching pair is the one enclosed by em dashes.
Standard English conventions require nonessential elements to be set off by matching pairs of punctuation (e.g., two commas or two em dashes) rather than mixed punctuation.

Key Concept

Nonessential elements must be set off from the rest of the sentence using matching punctuation marks: two commas, two em dashes, or two parentheses.
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Topics

Punctuation of Nonessential Elements

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