Select the sentence that reflects the correct use of punctuation.

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

When evaluating punctuation in a sentence, first check the role of direct address and how clauses are joined.
Option a: 'Heather, you slug, get out of bed; it's time for class.' This uses a direct address with 'Heather' separated by commas, which is correct. The phrase 'you slug' is an interrupting descriptive tag and is correctly set off by commas. The two independent clauses ' Heather, you slug, get out of bed' and 'it's time for class' are properly connected with a semicolon, which is appropriate for closely related independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.
Option b: 'Heather you slug get out of bed, it's time for class.' Here, the direct address is missing the necessary comma after 'Heather,' so the sentence lacks proper punctuation around the vocative. It also uses a comma to join two independent clauses, creating a comma splice, which is not acceptable.
Option c: 'Heather, you slug, get out of bed, it's time for class.' This one attempts to combine the clauses with a single comma before 'it's time for class.' Since there are two independent clauses here ('get out of bed' and 'it's time for class'), a comma alone is insufficient and creates a comma splice. The semicolon in option a correctly prevents this issue, making c incorrect.
In summary, option a correctly places the direct address with proper commas around the interrupting phrase and uses a semicolon to join two independent clauses. Options b and c each have punctuation issues related to how independent clauses are connected or how the vocative is punctuated.

ENG-1002-018 - 11967 - 202501 Unit 4: Punctuation Pre-Test

Select the sentence that reflects the correct use of punctuation.

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