This question is incomplete, since it is missing the sentence we must punctuate correctly. I've found the complete question online. It is the following:
Read the sentence.
Christopher Columbus born in Genoa never did reach mainland North America
Which revision is necessary to create proper punctuation within the sentence?
The phrase “born in Genoa” should be set off with commas.
The phrase “Christopher Columbus” should be set off with commas.
The phrase “never did reach” should be set off with commas.
The phrase “mainland North America” should be set off with commas.
Answer:
The necessary revision is:
The phrase “born in Genoa” should be set off with commas.
Explanation:
The phrase "born in Genoa" is an appositive, meaning it renames another word or phrase in the sentence. In other words, an appositive has the function of giving further explanation or information about something that was just mentioned. In this case, "born in Genoa" is giving readers more information about Christopher Columbus. Appositives that are not restrictive, but that offer an explanation, must be set off by commas. Therefore, the correct punctuation for this sentence would be:
"Christopher Columbus, born in Genoa, never did reach mainland North America
."
