Which of the sentences below has correct punctuation for a nonessential phrase (a phrase that is not needed)? *
a.The cheetah spotted, animal, runs the deserts of the world.
b.The cheetah, a spotted animal, runs the deserts of the world
c.The cheetah, a spotted animal runs the deserts of the world.
d.The cheetah a spotted animal runs the deserts of the world.
Which nonessential phrase has TWO commas — one before it and one after?
I am assuming that the answer could be A, because of unnecessary comma use.
To determine which of the sentences has correct punctuation for a nonessential phrase, we need to look for the correct placement of commas.
A nonessential phrase provides additional information but can be removed from the sentence without changing its overall meaning. In this case, the phrase "a spotted animal" is the nonessential phrase.
Let's analyze each option:
a. The cheetah spotted, animal, runs the deserts of the world. This sentence has incorrect punctuation. The nonessential phrase should be offset by commas, but there is only one comma before "animal." Additionally, the word "spotted" is not properly connected to the rest of the sentence.
b. The cheetah, a spotted animal, runs the deserts of the world. This sentence has correct punctuation. The nonessential phrase "a spotted animal" is set off by commas, which properly indicate that it is not necessary for the sentence's meaning.
c. The cheetah, a spotted animal runs the deserts of the world. This sentence has incorrect punctuation. The nonessential phrase "a spotted animal" is not properly offset by commas. Without the commas, the phrase becomes essential information in the sentence.
d. The cheetah a spotted animal runs the deserts of the world. This sentence has incorrect punctuation. The nonessential phrase "a spotted animal" is not offset by commas, making it seem essential to the sentence's meaning.
Therefore, the correct sentence with the proper punctuation for a nonessential phrase is b. "The cheetah, a spotted animal, runs the deserts of the world."