IXL | What does the punctuation suggest?

What does the following sentence suggest?

Next month, the Campbell Parks Department will remove elm trees that have been diagnosed with Dutch elm disease, in an effort to prevent the fungus from spreading to other trees.

Some of the elm trees have Dutch elm disease.

All of the elm trees have Dutch elm disease.

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question

What does the following sentence suggest?

Clarksville's concert hall, which seats about eight hundred people, was designed by local architect Lucy Whitaker.

Clarksville has one concert hall.

Clarksville has more than one concert hall.

key idea

A restrictive element in a sentence is necessary in order for a reader to identify exactly who or what is being discussed. Restrictive information is not set off with commas.

The teacher who is retiring is being honored with an award on Friday.

The underlined restrictive clause helps a reader identify which teacher is being honored.

The teacher is being honored with an award on Friday.

Without the restrictive clause, a reader doesn't know which teacher is being honored.

A nonrestrictive element provides information that is supplemental; it is not necessary in order for a reader to identify who or what is being discussed. Nonrestrictive information is always set off with commas.

The Golden Gate Bridge, which first opened in 1937, took over four years to build.

The underlined information isn't required to interpret the sentence.

The Golden Gate Bridge took over four years to build.

Without the information, a reader still knows which bridge took four years to build.

As you write, be sure to use commas correctly to indicate whether information is restrictive or nonrestrictive.

Restrictive:

Ethan's sister Julie has recently started working for a new company in Toronto.

If Ethan has more than one sister, do not use commas around Julie. The name Julie is required in order for a reader to identify which of Ethan's sisters is being discussed.

Nonrestrictive:

Ethan's sister, Julie, has recently started working for a new company in Toronto.

If Ethan has only one sister, use commas around Julie. The name Julie is not needed in order for a reader to identify who is being discussed.

solution

Look at the sentence.

Clarksville's concert hall, which seats about eight hundred people, was designed by local architect Lucy Whitaker.

Which seats about eight hundred people is set off by commas. It is nonrestrictive; it could be removed from the sentence and the identity of Clarksville's concert hall would still be clear. So, the sentence suggests that Clarksville has one concert hall.

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