Question #N339
The poet Maya Angelou’s autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, is an important work of literature. It is a powerful and moving story about Angelou’s childhood and adolescence, and it explores themes of racism, sexism, and violence. The book is also significant because it was one of the first autobiographies by a Black woman that was widely read and praised.
Which choice provides the best punctuation for the underlined portion of the passage?
A. It is a powerful and moving story, about Angelou’s childhood and adolescence, and it explores themes of racism, sexism, and violence.
B. It is a powerful and moving story; about Angelou’s childhood and adolescence, and it explores themes of racism, sexism, and violence.
C. It is a powerful and moving story about Angelou’s childhood and adolescence, and it explores themes of racism, sexism, and violence.
D. It is a powerful and moving story about Angelou’s childhood and adolescence, and it explores themes of racism, sexism, and violence;
Correct Answer is: C
The underlined portion is a non-essential clause that adds information about the subject of the sentence. Non-essential clauses are set off with commas. The comma after “adolescence” separates the non-essential clause from the rest of the sentence, and the comma after “violence” separates the non-essential clause from the following independent clause.