Question #N874
The first person to successfully orbit the Earth was Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut. Gagarin’s voyage, which was completed in 1961, was a momentous achievement in space exploration.
Which choice best combines the sentences at the underlined portion so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Gagarin’s voyage, completed in 1961, was a momentous achievement
B. Gagarin’s voyage, which was completed in 1961, was a momentous achievement
C. Gagarin’s voyage was completed in 1961, was a momentous achievement
D. Gagarin’s voyage, which was completed in 1961, was a momentous achievement
Correct Answer is: A
The correct answer is A. To combine the sentences, we can use a comma and a participial phrase to modify the noun "voyage." The participial phrase "completed in 1961" is a nonessential modifier, so it needs to be set off with commas. The other options are incorrect because they either create a comma splice or don't use commas correctly.