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Question

Difficulty: MediumPunctuation of Nonessential Elements

Katsushika Hokusai’s woodblock print *The Great Wave off Kanagawa* is one of the most recognizable works of Japanese art. The print _______ depicts three boats navigating a mountainous wave with Mount Fuji visible in the background. Through this dynamic composition, Hokusai masterfully juxtaposes the turbulent power of the ocean with the serene, enduring presence of the distant mountain.

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

  1. A
    —which Hokusai created in the early 1830s using an imported Prussian blue pigment,
  2. B
    , which Hokusai created in the early 1830s using an imported Prussian blue pigment—
  3. , which Hokusai created in the early 1830s using an imported Prussian blue pigment,Answer
  4. D
    which Hokusai created in the early 1830s using an imported Prussian blue pigment,

Answer

The correct choice completes the sentence with a nonessential relative clause set off by matching commas on both ends.
The correct choice completes the sentence with a nonessential relative clause set off by matching commas on both ends. This conforms to standard English conventions by maintaining punctuation symmetry.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the nonessential element in the sentence.
The clause 'which Hokusai created in the early 1830s using an imported Prussian blue pigment' is a nonessential relative clause because it adds extra information about the print but is not required for the sentence to be grammatically complete.
Determining whether a clause is essential or nonessential helps in selecting the appropriate punctuation strategy.
2
Apply the punctuation rule for nonessential elements.
Nonessential elements must be set off from the main sentence using matching punctuation marks on both sides (either two commas, two em dashes, or parentheses).
Consistency in punctuation pairs prevents grammatical asymmetry.
3
Evaluate the choices for matching punctuation.
The option containing a matching pair of commas is grammatically correct, whereas the other options use mismatched or missing punctuation.
Eliminating asymmetrical options leads to the correct grammatical construction.

Key Concept

Punctuation of Nonessential Elements
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Topics

Punctuation of Nonessential Elements

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