English Question for Thursday, March 18th, 2010
Choose the best alternative for the underlined part 13.
A. NO CHANGE
B. lecture and proof
C. lecture, proof
D. lecture proof,
Incorrect
Incorrect
Correct!
The best answer is C. This is a difficult question in a rather complex sentence. The clause beginning with proof serves as an appositive, a phrase that describes or defines a preceding noun. Appositives are set off from the main clause with commas and, in most cases, immediately follow the noun they are describing. Here, the appositive occurs at the end of the sentence but describes the subject at the beginning of the sentence (She). "She was ready for a triumphant return to the United States to barnstorm and lecture, proof that . . . one's dream can be attained." The punctuation decisions offered by Choices A and D would both produce an illogical phrasing because they propose that proof should serve as the direct object of the verb lecture ("She was ready . . . to barnstorm and lecture proof . . ."). Choice B is equally illogical because it proposes that proof could function as a verb ("She was ready . . . to barnstorm and lecture and proof that . . . one's dream can be attained.")
Incorrect
