Standard English ConventionsEasy–MediumNonrestrictive appositive set off by commas
Standard English Conventions practice question
Marie ____ mapped the Atlantic seafloor by hand and revealed the rift valley that helped confirm plate tectonics.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- A. Tharp, a geologist and cartographer,Correct
- B. Tharp a geologist and cartographer,
- C. Tharp, a geologist and cartographer
- D. Tharp — a geologist and cartographer,
Answer: A. Tharp, a geologist and cartographer,
The appositive 'a geologist and cartographer' is extra information and takes a comma on both sides.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. Tharp a geologist and cartographer,
- The appositive needs an opening comma as well as a closing one.
- C. Tharp, a geologist and cartographer
- The appositive needs a closing comma before the sentence continues.
- D. Tharp — a geologist and cartographer,
- Mixing a dash on one side with a comma on the other is inconsistent; the pair must match.
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Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
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