16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsVery hardMatching dashes around an appositive

Standard English Conventions practice question

The garden's centrepiece ____ was shipped from Aberdeen in 1902.

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

  1. A. — a fountain carved from a single block of granite —Correct
  2. B. — a fountain carved from a single block of granite,
  3. C. , a fountain carved from a single block of granite —
  4. D. a fountain carved from a single block of granite

Answer: A. — a fountain carved from a single block of granite —

An appositive set off with a dash must be closed with a dash.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. — a fountain carved from a single block of granite,
A dash opens and a comma closes: mismatched.
C. , a fountain carved from a single block of granite —
A comma opens and a dash closes: mismatched.
D. a fountain carved from a single block of granite
With no punctuation the sentence reads "centrepiece a fountain".

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