16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsMediumNonessential clause with 'which'

Standard English Conventions practice question

The old mill ____ converted into apartments in 2015.

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

  1. A. mill, which had stood empty for decades, wasCorrect
  2. B. mill which had stood empty for decades, was
  3. C. mill, which had stood empty for decades was
  4. D. mill — which had stood empty for decades, was

Answer: A. mill, which had stood empty for decades, was

'which had stood empty for decades' is extra information about the mill — it could be removed and the sentence would still work. A nonessential clause is set off with a comma on each side.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. mill which had stood empty for decades, was
The clause has a closing comma but no opening one. A nonessential clause needs the pair.
C. mill, which had stood empty for decades was
The opening comma is there but the closing one is missing, so the clause runs into the verb 'was'.
D. mill — which had stood empty for decades, was
The clause opens with a dash and closes with a comma. The marks must match.

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