Question #N4
Which of the following sentences correctly uses a comma to separate a nonessential phrase?
A. The play, which was written by Shakespeare, is a comedy.
B. The play which was written by Shakespeare, is a comedy.
C. The play which was written by Shakespeare is a comedy.
D. The play which was written by Shakespeare, is a comedy
Correct Answer is: A
A nonessential phrase can be removed from a sentence without changing the meaning of the sentence. In this case, the phrase "which was written by Shakespeare" is a nonessential phrase, and it is correctly separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma. This is because the phrase doesn’t provide information that is essential to the meaning of the sentence. The other sentences are incorrect because they use the comma incorrectly to separate a nonessential phrase.