An avid reader __ Tracy finishes three books in a week. Which punctuation should separate the appositive from the rest of the sentence?

An avid reader __ Tracy finishes three books in a week. Which punctuation should separate the appositive from the rest of the sentence?

• A. Colon
• B. Dash
• C. Comma
• D. Semicolon

Answer: (C)

The sentence uses an appositive to name the person identified by “an avid reader.” When that name adds extra, nonessential information, it is set off with commas. So the correct punctuation is to place commas around the appositive: An avid reader, Tracy, finishes three books in a week. This shows that Tracy is additional detail about the reader, and the sentence would still make sense without the name. A colon would not fit here because it would introduce something that explains or follows directly. A dash can be used for emphasis or interruption, but the standard, clean choice for nonessential appositives is commas. A semicolon links two independent thoughts, which isn’t needed in this sentence.

The sentence uses an appositive to name the person identified by “an avid reader.” When that name adds extra, nonessential information, it is set off with commas. So the correct punctuation is to place commas around the appositive: An avid reader, Tracy, finishes three books in a week. This shows that Tracy is additional detail about the reader, and the sentence would still make sense without the name.

A colon would not fit here because it would introduce something that explains or follows directly. A dash can be used for emphasis or interruption, but the standard, clean choice for nonessential appositives is commas. A semicolon links two independent thoughts, which isn’t needed in this sentence.