Question

Decide whether each sentence below is punctuated correctly. Use the drop-down menus to indicate which revisions, if any, are necessary. The American author, Harper Lee, published only one novel. An African grey parrot my pet bird won first prize in the pet show. Jerome’s brother, a sophomore at my school, is running for student council.

Answer 1

Answer:

Remove both commas, add a comma after parrot and bird, no revision needed.

Explanation:

In the first sentence, the appositive "Harper Lee" is essential, i.e., it can't be dropped from the sentence because it defines the subject, and like defining/essential relative clauses, they should not go between commas. The second sentence is the opposite case: the appositive phrase "my pet bird" is additional information that is not essential in defining the subject, therefore it should be written between commas. The same applies for the third sentence, in which the non-essential appositive "a sophomore at my school" is correctly punctuated.

Answer 2

1. Remove both comma's

2. Add a comma after Parrot and bird

3. No revision needed