Question 15

Calvin and Hobbes ran daily in newspapers across the country from 1985 to 1995, cartoonist.

The best version of the quoted portion is "cartoonist," which correctly uses a comma to separate the appositive from the rest of the sentence.

A) (as it is now)

This option presents the quoted portion without any punctuation, which makes it grammatically incorrect. The lack of a comma fails to properly indicate the appositive structure that provides additional information about Bill Watterson.

B) cartoonist,

This option is correct because it includes a comma after "cartoonist," which properly delineates the appositive from the main clause. This punctuation clarifies that Bill Watterson is being identified as a cartoonist, enhancing the sentence's readability and correctness.

C) cartoonist

This option is incorrect because it omits the necessary comma. Without the comma, the sentence lacks clarity, making it confusing as it does not properly separate the appositive from the rest of the sentence.

D) cartoonist,

This option is not applicable since it is identical to option B but lacks context or clarity around its placement. It does not provide a distinct version that is different from the correct answer.

Conclusion

The correct choice, "cartoonist," is necessary for proper punctuation and grammatical structure, making the sentence clearer and more professional. Options A and C fail due to missing or incorrect punctuation, while option D does not present an alternative that enhances the sentence's clarity. Therefore, option B is the only version that meets the standard of correctness.