Final answer:
The correct syntax for specifying a format name in a SAS FORMAT statement is 'FORMAT name;'. A proper statement applies a format without additional punctuation, for example 'FORMAT birthdate date9;'.
Step-by-step explanation:
In SAS, the correct syntax for specifying a format name in the FORMAT statement is option c) FORMAT name;
To apply a format to a variable in SAS, you would typically write the FORMAT statement within a DATA step or PROC step. The format name is specified without any punctuation such as colons or commas, and it is followed by a period. For example, if you wanted to format a variable named 'birthdate' with a date9 format, you would write:
FORMAT birthdate date9.;
Make sure to include the semicolon at the end of the statement to complete the SAS statement syntax.