Question

Which sentence below has correct comma placement to show a nonrestrictive element?

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Felix, the 8 year old boy, learned to surf when he was two years old.
Felix the 8 year old boy learned to surf when he was two years old.
Felix, the 8 year old boy who learned to surf, when he was two years old.

Answer 1

Felix, the 8-year-old boy, learned to surf when he was two years old.

In this sentence, the phrase "the 8-year-old boy" is a nonrestrictive element, providing additional information about Felix but not essential to the meaning of the sentence. The commas before and after "the 8-year-old boy" indicate that it is a nonrestrictive element, and the sentence would still be grammatically and semantically complete without it.

Answer 2

Answer: Felix, the 8 year old boy, learned to surf when he was two years old.

Explanation: It provides extra information about Felix but does not change the meaning of the sentence if it were to be removed. Non-restrictive elements are often set apart by commas to indicate that they are not essential.