SAT OwlToni Morrison published eleven novels over her long career. Her novel ______ was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988 and is frequently ranked among the greatest American novels of the twentieth century.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
, Beloved,
Beloved
Beloved,
, Beloved
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B
Because Morrison wrote eleven novels, the title Beloved is needed to identify which novel is meant. That makes it a restrictive appositive, and restrictive appositives are not set off with commas. Choice A would only work if Beloved were her only novel.
Choice A sets off the title with commas, which wrongly suggests that Morrison wrote only one novel.
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