16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsVery hardEssential 'where' clause takes no commas

Standard English Conventions practice question

The village ____ has fewer than two hundred residents.

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

  1. A. where my grandmother was bornCorrect
  2. B. , where my grandmother was born,
  3. C. , where my grandmother was born
  4. D. where my grandmother was born,

Answer: A. where my grandmother was born

'The village' alone doesn't say which village; 'where my grandmother was born' identifies it. An essential clause takes no commas.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. , where my grandmother was born,
Commas would make the clause an aside, as if 'the village' were already identified.
C. , where my grandmother was born
A lone comma before the clause has no partner and separates it from 'village'.
D. where my grandmother was born,
A lone comma after the clause separates the subject from its verb 'has'.

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