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Do you know how to identify essential and nonessential sentence elements? Test your ability with our quiz, and read our post on the topic for more detailed explanations.
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Question 1 of 5
1. Question
Which sentence is correct?
Correct
Answer: a
Explanation: The clause “who hates noise and crowds” is essential to the meaning of the sentence because it indicates that not everyone hates New York, only those who hate noise and crowds. Since the clause is essential, it should not be enclosed in commas.
Incorrect
Answer: a
Explanation: The clause “who hates noise and crowds” is essential to the meaning of the sentence because it indicates that not everyone hates New York, only those who hate noise and crowds. Since the clause is essential, it should not be enclosed in commas.
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Question 2 of 5
2. Question
Which sentence is correct?
Correct
Answer: b
Explanation: In sentence b, if the description “where she just completed her third tour of duty” is removed, the resulting sentence–“She returns home tomorrow from the region in Iraq”–is incomplete; we are left asking, “Which region in Iraq?” The clause is therefore essential to the meaning of the sentence and should not be preceded by a comma.
Incorrect
Answer: b
Explanation: In sentence b, if the description “where she just completed her third tour of duty” is removed, the resulting sentence–“She returns home tomorrow from the region in Iraq”–is incomplete; we are left asking, “Which region in Iraq?” The clause is therefore essential to the meaning of the sentence and should not be preceded by a comma.
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Question 3 of 5
3. Question
Which sentence is correct?
Correct
Answer: a
Explanation: If “like my parents” is removed from sentence a, the meaning of the resulting sentence — “Some older people prefer to live in warmer climates” — is unchanged. Hence, the descriptive wording is not essential to the meaning of the sentence and should be enclosed in commas.
Incorrect
Answer: a
Explanation: If “like my parents” is removed from sentence a, the meaning of the resulting sentence — “Some older people prefer to live in warmer climates” — is unchanged. Hence, the descriptive wording is not essential to the meaning of the sentence and should be enclosed in commas.
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Question 4 of 5
4. Question
Which sentence is correct?
Correct
Answer: b
Explanation: Version a, which treats “who have daughters” as nonessential, is illogical, because if it is removed, the resulting sentence — “Fathers quickly learn that sexism is alive and well” — means that all fathers, whether they have sons or daughters, become aware of the prevalence of sexism with equal speed. But the sentence asserts that having daughters is what makes fathers quickly aware of sexism. Note that the correct version, which correctly treats “who have daughters” as essential information, does not enclose the description in commas.
Incorrect
Answer: b
Explanation: Version a, which treats “who have daughters” as nonessential, is illogical, because if it is removed, the resulting sentence — “Fathers quickly learn that sexism is alive and well” — means that all fathers, whether they have sons or daughters, become aware of the prevalence of sexism with equal speed. But the sentence asserts that having daughters is what makes fathers quickly aware of sexism. Note that the correct version, which correctly treats “who have daughters” as essential information, does not enclose the description in commas.
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Question 5 of 5
5. Question
Which sentence is correct?
Correct
Answer: a
Explanation: Version b, which treats “Tony” as essential, is illogical, because the writer can only have one youngest brother, so the fact that his name is Tony is not needed to tell us which brother the writer means. The correct version of the sentence, which treats “Tony” as nonessential, encloses the name in commas.
Incorrect
Answer: a
Explanation: Version b, which treats “Tony” as essential, is illogical, because the writer can only have one youngest brother, so the fact that his name is Tony is not needed to tell us which brother the writer means. The correct version of the sentence, which treats “Tony” as nonessential, encloses the name in commas.