PSAT Writing and Language Question 430: Answer and Explanation

Question: 430

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. Brodber's third novel Louisiana, has
• C. Brodbers' third novel, Louisiana has
• D. Brodber's third novel, Louisiana—has

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

(A) "Erna Brodber" is a singular person. To show that she possesses the novel, the apostrophe must be placed like this: Brodber's. The name of the novel can also be set off/separated from the rest of the sentence by commas because the description that precedes it—Brodber's third novel—is sufficient to narrow down the information to exactly which novel it is. The answer is not choice (B) because there is not a comma after "novel." It is not choice (C) because of improper apostrophe and comma use. It is not choice (D) because the punctuation that starts and ends a parenthetical description must be consistent. Parenthetical information cannot start with a comma and end with a dash.