PSAT Writing and Language Question 257: Answer and Explanation

Question: 257

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. Charles E. Wilson a former chairperson of General Motors
• C. Charles E. Wilson—a former chairperson of General Motors
• D. Charles E. Wilson a former chairperson of General Motors,

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

Difficulty: Hard

Category: Sentence Structure: Commas, Dashes, and Colons

Getting to the Answer: Parenthetical information in a sentence must be set off by punctuation, while essential information does not require punctuation. This question tests whether the descriptive phrase "a former chairperson of General Motors" is essential in this sentence. Although the phrase adds relevant information, removing the phrase still results in a sentence that makes logical sense: the reader still knows precisely who (Charles E. Wilson) is associated with the quote. Since the phrase is parenthetical, it should be set off by a pair of commas, dashes, or parentheses—(A) is correct. The other choices are incorrect because they either omit the necessary punctuation entirely, as in (B), or use only one punctuation mark instead of a pair, as in (C) and (D).