Question

Directions Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

(1) My brother and I look nothing alike. (2) There are some families in which the resemblance is uncanny. (3) Often siblings share the same facial features (eyes, noses, or smiles). (4) Annabelle, who is one of my teammates, _____ so much like her older sister that our soccer coach once called her to demonstrate a drill by using the wrong name! (5) Smiling Annabelle followed the coach's instructions without correcting him. (6) Our coach wrapped up in the demonstration he was giving did not even notice his mistake. (7) Later, picking teams for a scrimmage match, the team captain made the same error. (8) Neither our coach nor our teammates ____ ever mistaken me for my brother like that.
(9) Even though we don't resemble each other physically, my brother and I enjoy a lot of the same things. (10) We both play the guitar and read biographies for fun. (11) Steak and eggs ___ our favorite breakfast. (12) We even took a cooking class together to learn how to make it ourselves. (13) But more than anything else, we love going on long road trips, we drove all the way from Chicago to Miami one summer. (14) That's one vacation I'll never forget, because we almost didn't make it home.
(15) Our last morning in Miami, we brought our guitars down to the beach. (16) Looking out over the ocean, we practiced a new song, composed during the trip. (17) Our guitars never sounded better. (18) To celebrate, we decided to take one last swim before we started our long drive home after all, who knows when we'd see the ocean again? (19) I told my brother to put the car keys in his guitar case so they wouldn't get lost in the surf, and then we ran into the water. (20) When it was time to go, my brother opened his case and shouted, ""Oh no! The keys aren't here! I must have left them in my pocket, which means they're __"" (21) He trailed off and shifted his gaze across the ocean. (22) We spent over an hour kicking through the sand looking for the keys. (23) Eventually, we gave up and called the auto club to bring us a spare set. (24) With nothing to do but wait, we decided to play our guitars to pass the time
(25) I grabbed my case and popped the lid. (26) I couldn't believe my eyes! (27) There in my guitar case was the keys. (28) ____ , all I could do was laugh. (29) My brother and I learned an important lesson that trip: we might not look alike, but our guitar cases sure do!
Question
How might you rewrite sentence 16 to show the correct punctuation of a participle?
Select one:
a. Looking out over the ocean we practiced a new song composed during the trip.
b. Looking out over the ocean we practiced a new song, composed during the trip.
c. Looking out over the ocean, we practiced a new song composed during the trip.
d. Looking out over the ocean; we practiced a new song, composed during the trip.

Answer 1

The correct way to rewrite sentence 16 with proper punctuation is: 'Looking out over the ocean, we practiced a new song composed during the trip.'

Step-by-step explanation:

To rewrite sentence 16 to show the correct punctuation of a participle, the appropriate choice would be option c. Looking out over the ocean, we practiced a new song composed during the trip. The comma after the introductory participial phrase Looking out over the ocean is necessary to separate it from the main clause and to prevent a run-on feeling to the sentence.

The phrase composed during the trip does not require commas around it as it is essential information that specifies which song was practiced; hence, it is restrictive and commas are not needed.

To correctly punctuate the participle in sentence 16, the option "c" is appropriate: "Looking out over the ocean, we practiced a new song composed during the trip." The comma after "ocean" indicates the separation between the introductory participial phrase and the main clause.

This punctuation style ensures clarity and proper structure, allowing readers to seamlessly follow the narrative. It enhances the flow of the sentence, signifying that the action of looking out over the ocean is connected to the main action of practicing a new song composed during the trip.

Therefore answer is c. Looking out over the ocean, we practiced a new song composed during the trip.