Question

read the sentence.

the works of charles dickens a famous british writer include david copperfield and oliver twist.

which is the best revision of this sentence?

• the works of charles dickens a famous british writer include, david copperfield and oliver twist.
• the works of charles dickens, a famous british writer, include david copperfield and oliver twist.
• the works of charles dickens-a famous british writer include david copperfield and oliver twist.
• the works of charles dickens a famous british writer include-david copperfield and oliver twist.

Explanation:

Identify the grammatical issue in the original sentence

The original sentence contains an appositive phrase, "a famous British writer," which renames the noun "Charles Dickens." Non-essential appositive phrases must be set off from the rest of the sentence with commas on both sides.

Evaluate the given options

• Option 1: Places a single comma after "include," which incorrectly separates the verb from its direct objects.
• Option 2: Correctly places commas both before and after the non-essential appositive phrase "a famous British writer."
• Option 3: Uses only a single dash before the appositive phrase, leaving it open-ended and grammatically incorrect.
• Option 4: Places a single dash after "include," which incorrectly separates the verb from its direct objects.

Answer:

• The works of Charles Dickens a famous British writer include, David Copperfield and Oliver Twist.
• The works of Charles Dickens, a famous British writer, include David Copperfield and Oliver Twist. (Correct answer)
• The works of Charles Dickens—a famous British writer include David Copperfield and Oliver Twist.
• The works of Charles Dickens a famous British writer include—David Copperfield and Oliver Twist.