In 1967, astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell detected a series of regularly spaced radio pulses while analyzing data from a newly constructed radio telescope. Initially, some researchers hypothesized that the signals were artificial transmissions from an extraterrestrial civilization. However, this anomaly ______ ultimately proved to be the first discovered pulsar, a highly magnetized rotating neutron star.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- , which she and her advisor Antony Hewish initially referred to as "Little Green Men 1" (LGM-1),Answer
- B—which she and her advisor Antony Hewish initially referred to as "Little Green Men 1" (LGM-1),
- Cwhich she and her advisor Antony Hewish initially referred to as "Little Green Men 1" (LGM-1),
- D, which she and her advisor Antony Hewish initially referred to as "Little Green Men 1" (LGM-1)
Answer
The correct option is the one that begins and ends the nonessential clause with a comma: ", which she and her advisor Antony Hewish initially referred to as "Little Green Men 1" (LGM-1),"
The sentence contains the nonessential relative clause 'which she and her advisor Antony Hewish initially referred to as "Little Green Men 1" (LGM-1)'. To conform to standard English conventions, this nonessential clause must be set off from the rest of the sentence with a matching pair of punctuation marks. The correct choice uses a comma at both the beginning and the end of the clause, properly isolating it.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Nonessential elements must be set off from the rest of the sentence using a matching pair of punctuation marks (commas, em dashes, or parentheses).