Question

26 which two sentences are punctuated correctly? a areas, where flooding was severe, have been evacuated. b no one was in the building when the fire occurred. c while janet was sleeping, rachel cleaned the house. d the restaurant which is near the river has an outdoor patio. e they can subpoena anyone, who refuses to testify.

Explanation:

• Option A: The non - restrictive relative clause "where flooding was severe" should not be set off with commas here because the clause is restrictive (it defines which areas), so this is incorrect.
• Option B: The sentence "No one was in the building when the fire occurred." has correct punctuation. There are no unnecessary commas and the sentence structure is clear.
• Option C: The adverbial clause "While Janet was sleeping" is followed by a comma before the main clause "Rachel cleaned the house", which is the correct way to punctuate an adverbial clause at the beginning of a sentence.
• Option D: The relative clause "which is near the river" is non - restrictive (it gives additional information about the restaurant) and should be set off with commas, so this is incorrect.
• Option E: The relative clause "who refuses to testify" is restrictive (it defines which people) and should not be set off with a comma, so this is incorrect.

Answer:

B. No one was in the building when the fire occurred., C. While Janet was sleeping, Rachel cleaned the house.