Question 86·Medium·Boundaries
According to ______, the rise of plant-based cuisine is shaping the future of fine dining. Wrіtten bу Аnіko
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For punctuation questions like this, read the sentence with each option and focus on whether the phrase before the comma works as one clear, uninterrupted unit. Remember that when a common noun (like "author," "scientist," or "chefs") is directly followed by a specific name that tells you which person or people, that name is essential and should not be set off with commas. Eliminate any choices that insert commas between a preposition and its object or between a title and its identifying name, and choose the version that sounds natural and follows this rule. Аnikо - Free ЅAТ Prер
Hints
Focus on the phrase before the comma
Read from the start up to the comma: "According to ______,". The blank should be filled with one continuous phrase that clearly tells you who is being quoted.
Compare the choices by punctuation only
Ignore the words themselves for a moment—they're almost identical. Look only at where the commas are placed and ask: Does this punctuation break the phrase into awkward or separate parts? аnіkо.аi SAT Quеstіon Bаnk
Think about names and titles
The word "chefs" is a title, and the two names specify which chefs. Should that identifying information be set off by commas as extra, or should it stay directly connected to the word "chefs"?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the structure of the sentence
Look at the full sentence:
"According to ______, the rise of plant-based cuisine is shaping the future of fine dining."
The blank must be filled with a single, clear noun phrase that tells us who is saying this. That whole phrase comes right after the preposition "according to" and before the comma.
Notice what varies in the answer choices
All four choices use the same words: "chefs Massimo Bottura and Dominique Crenn." The only difference is where the commas are placed.
So this is a comma placement (punctuation) question. Your job is to decide which commas are correct and which are unnecessary or wrong.
Recall the rule for names and titles
When a title or common noun (like "chefs" or "writer") is followed by the specific name that tells you which person or people, that name is usually essential information.
- For essential information, do not set it off with commas.
- Example: "According to writer Toni Morrison, ..." (no comma between "writer" and "Toni Morrison").
In this sentence, the names "Massimo Bottura and Dominique Crenn" tell us which chefs, so that information is essential and should not be separated from "chefs" by commas.
Apply the rule to the choices
We need a version where:
- "chefs" stays attached to "Massimo Bottura and Dominique Crenn" with no comma between the title and the names.
- The whole phrase works smoothly as: "According to [chefs + names], ..." (Aniкo.аі)
Only one choice keeps "chefs Massimo Bottura and Dominique Crenn" together as a single unit and uses just the one comma after the entire phrase (before "the rise"). That correct, standard version is:
chefs Massimo Bottura and Dominique Crenn.