Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumPunctuation of Nonessential Elements

Initiated in 2007 by the African Union, the Great Green Wall was originally conceived as a simple corridor of trees designed to combat desertification in the Sahel region. However, the initiative [blank] now emphasizes a broader range of sustainable land management practices to support local communities.

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

  1. A
    , which spans the entire width of the continent—
  2. B
    —which spans the entire width of the continent,
  3. —which spans the entire width of the continent—Answer
  4. D
    which spans the entire width of the continent,

Answer

The relative clause 'which spans the entire width of the continent' is a nonessential element and must be set off with matching punctuation. The only choice that does this is the one using matching em dashes on both sides: '—which spans the entire width of the continent—'.
The relative clause 'which spans the entire width of the continent' is a nonessential element that provides extra information about 'the initiative.' In Standard English, nonessential elements must be set off from the rest of the sentence using a pair of matching punctuation marks, such as two em dashes. The correct choice properly uses an em dash before and after the clause.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the nonessential element in the sentence.
The clause 'which spans the entire width of the continent' is nonessential because the main sentence 'the initiative now emphasizes a broader range of sustainable land management practices' remains grammatically complete and retains its core meaning without it.
Determining if a clause is nonessential helps decide how it must be punctuated.
2
Apply the rule for punctuation of nonessential elements.
Nonessential elements must be set off from the main clause by matching punctuation marks: either two commas, two em dashes, or parentheses.
Using mismatched punctuation (such as a comma on one side and an em dash on the other) is grammatically incorrect in Standard English.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one with matching punctuation marks.
The choice with matching em dashes ('—which spans the entire width of the continent—') is correct, while the others use asymmetrical punctuation combinations.
This ensures grammatical symmetry and correctness.

Key Concept

Punctuation of Nonessential Elements
Rate this question

Topics

Punctuation of Nonessential Elements

More questions from this topic