In which sentence is the nonessential clause underlined?
(1 point)
Responses
The man _leaning against the wall_ is from the zoo.
The snake _that he is holding_ is not poisonous.
Its coloring, _which is brown and green_, allows it to hide in marshy areas.
That snake _slithering behind the rock_ is actually harmless.
Its coloring, _which is brown and green_, allows it to hide in marshy areas.
The sentence in which the nonessential clause is underlined is:
Its coloring, _which is brown and green_, allows it to hide in marshy areas.
To identify the sentence with the nonessential clause underlined, we need to understand what a nonessential clause is. A nonessential clause, also known as a nonrestrictive clause, provides additional information but is not necessary to understand the main part of the sentence. To find the nonessential clause, we can look for extra information that could be removed without changing the essential meaning of the sentence.
Let's analyze the sentences:
1. "The man leaning against the wall is from the zoo." - This sentence does not contain a nonessential clause. The phrase "leaning against the wall" provides essential information about the man.
2. "The snake that he is holding is not poisonous." - This sentence does not contain a nonessential clause either. The phrase "that he is holding" is necessary to specify which snake is being referred to.
3. "Its coloring, which is brown and green, allows it to hide in marshy areas." - In this sentence, the phrase "which is brown and green" provides additional information about the coloring of the snake. It can be removed without affecting the essential meaning of the sentence. Therefore, this sentence contains a nonessential clause.
4. "That snake slithering behind the rock is actually harmless." - Similar to the previous sentences, this one does not have a nonessential clause. The phrase "slithering behind the rock" is crucial to identifying the snake being referred to.
From the four options, the sentence with the nonessential clause underlined is: "Its coloring, which is brown and green, allows it to hide in marshy areas."