Which punctuation marks properly set off a nonessential clause?

Study for the Texas Education Agency Test. Engage with flashcards and multiple choice questions, complete with hints and explanations. Prepare for your exam!

Nonessential clauses add extra information that can be removed without changing the main meaning of the sentence. To show that this information is optional, it’s set off with commas. For example, The concert, which started late, ended on schedule. If you take out the nonessential part, The concert ended on schedule still makes sense.

Semicolons link closely related independent sentences or separate items in a complex list; they aren’t used to enclose a clause inside a sentence. Dashes can set off information for emphasis or abrupt interruption, but they aren’t the standard way to neatly mark a nonessential clause. Colons introduce explanations or lists after a complete sentence, not a clause that’s merely added within the sentence.