SAT OwlNigerian writer Chinua Achebe published five novels during his long career, along with poetry, essays, and short stories. First published in 1958, his ______ has been translated into more than fifty languages and is widely taught in schools around the world.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
novel Things Fall Apart
novel, Things Fall Apart,
novel, Things Fall Apart
novel Things Fall Apart,
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A
Achebe wrote five novels, so the title is needed to identify which one the sentence means. Essential information is not set off with commas, so "his novel Things Fall Apart" takes no punctuation. No comma should separate this subject from its verb, "has been translated."
Choice B looks like a correctly punctuated appositive, but commas would treat the title as extra information, and it is essential because Achebe wrote more than one novel.
Why the other choices are wrong
- B. Commas treat the title as nonessential, but Achebe wrote five novels, so the specific title is required to identify the subject.
- C. The comma after "novel" sets the title off as extra information and never closes the interruption. Since Achebe wrote five novels, the title is essential and takes no commas.
- D. The comma at the end separates the subject from its verb, breaking the grammatical connection between the noun and the action.
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