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

The novel's narrator, ____ recounts events decades after they occur.

Question

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

The novel's narrator, ____ recounts events decades after they occur.

Accepted Answer

A. an unreliable but sympathetic figure,. The appositive 'an unreliable but sympathetic figure' is a nonrestrictive element and must be enclosed by paired commas; the opening comma after 'narrator' already appears, so a closing comma is required. Omitting it (B) drops half the pair, and a semicolon (C) or colon (D) cannot close a comma-opened appositive.

Answer

B. an unreliable but sympathetic figure — The comma after 'narrator' opens the nonrestrictive appositive, so you need a matching comma to close it; leaving it off strands the opening comma.

Answer

C. an unreliable but sympathetic figure; — A semicolon can't close an element that a comma opened, and it would need an independent clause before it — 'The novel's narrator, an unreliable but sympathetic figure' isn't one.

Answer

D. an unreliable but sympathetic figure: — A colon can't serve as the second half of a comma pair, and what follows ('recounts events...') is the sentence's verb phrase, not a list or explanation.

Standard English Conventions practice question

Answer: A. an unreliable but sympathetic figure,

Why the other answers are wrong

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