Question #N307

In the late 1990s, the band The Wallflowers, fronted by Jakob Dylan, son of music legend Bob Dylan, gained significant popularity with the release of their debut album, *Bringing Down the Horse*. The album spawned three hit singles, "One Headlight," "6th Avenue Heartache," and "The Difference." This album, with its introspective lyrics and infectious melodies, helped to define the sound of alternative rock.

Which choice provides the best punctuation for the underlined portion in the sentence?
A. album, with its introspective lyrics and infectious melodies
B. album; with its introspective lyrics and infectious melodies
C. album, with its introspective lyrics, and infectious melodies
D. album—with its introspective lyrics and infectious melodies

Correct Answer is: A

The underlined portion is a nonrestrictive clause, which means that it could be removed without affecting the meaning of the sentence. Nonrestrictive clauses are set off with commas. Choice B is incorrect because semicolons are used to join two independent clauses. Choice C is incorrect because commas are not used to separate items in a series that is already punctuated with commas. Choice D is incorrect because em dashes are used to set off parenthetical information that is more important than the information around it.