[CharliePeirce]

Can someone help me with this question:


#15 Because she knew many of the leaders of colonial America and the American Revolution personally, Mercy Otis Warren was continually at or near the center of political events from 1765 to 1789, a vantage point combining with her talent for writing to make her one of the most valuable historians of the era

(A) same as above

(B) a vantage point, when combined with her talent for writing, that made

(C) a vantage point that combined with her talent for writing, and it made

(D) and this vantage point, which combined with her talent for writing to make

(E) and this vantage point, combined with her talent for writing, made


I have it narrowed down to B and E, but I'm not sure what rule to apply to make a definitive choice between the two.

[TetsuroN]

I am not for sure, but I read that "that" does not follow commas - different from "which", so I think E.

-TetsuroN

[JEM]

Tets,

What you said: "I am not for sure, but I read that "that" does not follow commas - different from "which", so I think E" is not sound.

The rule to which you are referring is not universally applicable. Witness the following two sentences:

I saw a dog, a grey-haired mongrel, that sat eating a meal.
I saw a dog, a grey-haired mongrel, which sat eating a meal.

When a noun is followed by ,x, where x is a noun modifier, i.e. a description of the noun's referrent, then either "which" or "that" (or "who") can be acceptable to follow the second comma.

Now, consider:

#15 Because she knew many of the leaders of colonial America and the American Revolution personally, Mercy Otis Warren was continually at or near the center of political events from 1765 to 1789, a vantage point combining with her talent for writing to make her one of the most valuable historians of the era

(B) is incorrect because "when" refers to nothing - it can't - and this renders the sentence incoherent.