Final answer:
Main terms and nonessential modifiers can be distinguished based on italicization, capitalization, and the use of parentheses.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main term in a sentence is the essential word or phrase that conveys the primary meaning of the sentence. Nonessential modifiers, on the other hand, are additional information that can be removed from the sentence without changing the main idea. There are several ways to distinguish between a main term and a nonessential modifier:
- Italicization: Main terms are not always italicized, while nonessential modifiers might be italicized.
- Capitalization: Main terms are not always capitalized, while nonessential modifiers might be capitalized.
- Parentheses: Nonessential modifiers are often set off by parentheses to indicate that they are additional or explanatory information.