Restrictive vs Nonrestrictive Clauses

Participial phrases
Definition: Phrases that include a gerund (a verb form operating as a noun) or a participial phrase (a verb form operating as a modifier).
The comma rule: Insert a comma when the phrase is modifying the first word or phrase in the independent clause.
Exception: When the word or phrase being modified is the subject of the sentence and is followed by a verb.

Conjunctive adverbs
Definition: Adverbs whose presence at the beginning of a sentence creates a natural pause. Common examples include “meanwhile”, “anyway”, “so”, “moreover”, “however”, and “instead”.
Comma rule: Insert a comma between the adverb and the word it precedes.

Standalone adverbs
Definition: Adverbs that do not modify a specific verb but instead set the stage for the content that follows. Common examples include “luckily”, “unfortunately”, “happily”, and “sadly”.
Comma rule: Always insert a comma between the adverb and the word that follows.

My dog Charlie whom I think of as my best friend–even without “whom I think of as my best friend”
can balance a ball on his no ses.

Clauses Restrictive clauses limit or identify such nouns and cannot be removed from a sentence without changing the sentence’s meaning. A nonrestrictive clause, on the other hand, describes a noun in a nonessential way.

Both clauses
Restrictive Clause” A clause whose content is essential to the meaning of the sentence.

Nonrestrctvi clause. A clause whose content adds additional meaning of a sentence but is not essential to
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A clause is nonessential when its content they are often referred to as essential clauses, and nonrestrictive clauses are also called nonessential clauses for the opposite reason. They are both types of relative clauses because the information they provide relates to the subject of another clause.

As if that weren’t enough, both function as adjective clauses, because they describe their noun antecedents.

Usually introduced by “who”, “that” or “whose”

This is a clause that generally modifies a noun or a noun phrase and is often introduced by a relative pronoun (which, that, who, whom, whose). A relative clause connects ideas by using pronouns that relate to something previously mentioned and allows the writer to combine two independent clauses into one sentence. A relative clause is also known as an adjective clause. There are two types of relative clauses: restrictive and nonrestrictive.

Here are a few examples:

The

If it only describes but doesn’t specific identify it is non-restrictive.

The game lasted much longer than I thought it, which helps to explain why I’m late.

People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

The my next store neighbo, who lives in a glass house, doesnt’ throw stones.

My cousin, who lives in Nevada, is coming to visit me next week.

Jessica, who turned fifteen last year, bought a car of her own.
The city, which was founded by John Reagan in 1978, has grown
tremendously in the past 30 years.
The pie was baked last Sunday, which means that it is probably spoiled
today.
That vs. Which
In general, “that” is used for restrictive clauses and “which” is used for
nonrestrictive. Notice the difference in the following sentences:
The team that won the game is my favorite.
The team, which won the game, is my favorite.

Everyone who took part in the ceremony

The book that she read was important for her literature review. (restrictive)
The participants who were interviewed volunteered to be part of the study. (restrictive)
Walden University, which is entirely online, has main administrative offices in Baltimore and Minneapolis. (nonrestrictive)
The book that you promised to send me arrived yesterday. A specific bok is identified–

Need to identify

The man who came to dinner last night was my uncle

George
Restrictive Clauses Narrow Things Down
Restrictive clauses are usually introduced by the relative pronouns that, who, whom, or whose. A Restrictive Clause can have an identifying function.

The astronaut who first stepped on the moon was Neil Armstrong.
The Restrictive Clause in this sentence is who first stepped on the moon. If we stripped it from the sentence, we would be left with this:

The astronaut was Neil Armstrong.
There is nothing grammatically wrong with this Spartan sentence. However, it does not have the same intent as the former example, which was to identify the person who first set foot on the moon’s surface.

A Restrictive Clause can also have a limiting function.

Children who eat vegetables are likely to be healthy.
If the Restrictive Clause who eat vegetables were removed from this sentence, the intended limits on the noun children would be no more.

Children are likely to be healthy.
Obviously, our intention with the first sentence was to point out which children, from among the world’s multitudes, perform a behavior likely to sustain their health. Thus, who eat vegetables is an essential element of that sentence.

Nonrestrictive Clauses Give Bonus Info
Nonrestrictive clauses provide additional but optional descriptions that can be excised from a sentence without altering its meaning or structure.

Kaylee, who just graduated from high school, is an accomplished figure skater.
While the nonrestrictive clause who just graduated from high school offers a good description of the subject of this sentence, Kaylee, the sentence retains its meaning without it.

Kaylee is an accomplished figure skater.
Commas and Relative Clauses
A broad rule you can apply to relative clauses in order to punctuate them correctly is that restrictive clauses are never offset by commas, whereas nonrestrictive clauses are. One way to remember this is that nonrestrictive clauses are removable, and commas mark the removable part of the sentence. Restrictive clauses, on the other hand, are essential; they need to blend with their sentences seamlessly, without commas.

Mark Twain, who real name was Samuel Clemens was once described by William Faulkner as the “father of American literature.

Would you lend me the book, that you recommended last week?
Would you lend me the book that you recommended last week?
Oliver Twist which was Dickens’s second novel is a classic.
Oliver Twist, which was Dickens’s second novel, is a classic.
Deciding between That and Which
Confusion about when to use that and which has arisen for good reason: British and American English have different rules for them. In American English, that is used to introduce restrictive clauses, and which introduces nonrestrictive clauses.

The lamp, which was given to me by Aunt Betsy, is on the bedside table.
The lamp that Aunt Betsy gave me is on the bedside table.

In British English, it is often acceptable to substitute which in restrictive clauses.

The lamp which Aunt Betsy gave me is on the bedside table.
Of course, that could also be used acceptably in British English, which makes it safer, by default, to follow the American rule when in doubt. It also makes it easier to decide whether to insert commas, because if you follow the American rules, you can remember that commas should not precede that, but they should precede which.

A third option for the last example would be to rewrite it to omit all relative pronouns. If you can do that successfully, the clause is definitely restrictive.

The lamp Aunt Betsy gave me is on the bedside table.
Now that you have taken the time to learn these important rules, one thing has no restrictions at all: the limits of your writing.