Today, let’s explore the fascinating world of relative clauses and understand the key difference between restrictive and nonrestrictive ones. Relative clauses are a critical part of English grammar, helping us add detail to sentences. But when it comes to understanding restrictive and nonrestrictive relative clauses, things can get a bit tricky. In this blog, we’ll break down these concepts in simple terms, with plenty of examples to help you master the topic.
What Are Relative Clauses?
Before diving into the differences, let’s understand what relative clauses are. These are parts of sentences that give us more information about a person, thing, or idea. They usually begin with words like “who,” “which,” “that,” “whose,” or “where.”
Example:
- The boy who won the race is my cousin.
(Who won the race tells us more about “the boy.”)
Now, let’s dive into the two types of relative clauses: restrictive and nonrestrictive.
What Is a Restrictive Relative Clause?
A restrictive relative clause (also called a defining relative clause) provides essential information about a noun. Without this clause, the meaning of the sentence would change or become unclear.
Key Features of Restrictive Relative Clauses:
- Essential Information: The clause is necessary to identify the noun.
- No Commas: Restrictive clauses are not separated by commas.
- Relative Pronouns: Commonly use who, that, or which (though that is often preferred in restrictive clauses).
Let’s look at some examples:
- “The book that sits on my desk belongs to Sarah.” In this sentence, “that sits on my desk” tells us exactly which book we’re talking about.
Without this information, we wouldn’t know which book belongs to Sarah. - “Students who complete their homework early can leave class first.” Here, “who complete their homework early” tells us which specific students can leave – not all students, just the ones who finish early.
- “The car which has a broken taillight needs to be fixed.” The clause “which has a broken taillight” identifies the specific car we’re discussing.
Maybe there are multiple cars, but we’re talking about the one with the broken taillight.
What Is a Nonrestrictive Relative Clause?
A nonrestrictive relative clause (also called a non-defining relative clause) provides extra, non-essential information about a noun. These provide extra, bonus information that’s interesting but not essential to the basic meaning of the sentence. You could remove this information, and the main point would still be clear. These clauses are always separated by commas.
Key Features of Nonrestrictive Relative Clauses:
- Non-Essential Information: The clause adds extra details that are not crucial to the main meaning.
- Use of Commas: Nonrestrictive clauses are always set of
Here are some examples:
- My sister, who lives in Paris, is visiting next week.” The fact that my sister lives in Paris is extra information. The main point is that she’s visiting next week. If you removed “who lives in Paris,” the sentence would still make perfect sense.
- “The Eiffel Tower, which was built in 1889, attracts millions of tourists.” The construction date is interesting additional information, but it’s not crucial to understanding that the Eiffel Tower is a tourist attraction.
- “Dr. Smith, whose office is down the hall, is the head surgeon.” The location of Dr. Smith’s office is extra information. The main point is that he’s the head surgeon.
The simple test for identifying nonrestrictive relative clause
Here’s an easy way to tell the difference: try removing the clause. If the sentence still makes complete sense and means the same thing, it’s probably a nonrestrictive clause. If removing it changes the meaning or makes the sentence unclear, it’s likely a restrictive clause.
Let’s try it:
Example 1: Original: “The cookies that have chocolate chips are for the party.” Remove clause: “The cookies are for the party.” Result: The meaning changes because we don’t know which cookies are for the party. Therefore, it’s a restrictive clause.
Example 2: Original: “My best friend, who works at Google, loves programming.” Remove clause: “My best friend loves programming.” Result: The basic meaning stays the same. Therefore, it’s a nonrestrictive clause.
Common mistakes to avoid in nonrestrictive relative clauses
One common mistake is using “that” in nonrestrictive clauses. Remember:
- “That” is only used for restrictive clauses
- “Which” can be used for both types, but is more common in nonrestrictive clauses
- “Who” can be used for both types when referring to people
| Feature | Restrictive Relative Clause | Nonrestrictive Relative Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Provides essential information needed to identify the noun. | Adds extra, non-essential information about the noun. |
| Impact on Meaning | Without the clause, the sentence’s meaning changes or becomes unclear. | The sentence still makes sense without the clause. |
| Use of Commas | No commas are used. | Commas are used to separate the clause from the rest of the sentence. |
| Relative Pronouns | Commonly uses that, who, whom, whose, or which. | Commonly uses who, whom, whose, or which (not that). |
| Examples | – The car that is parked outside belongs to John. | – The car, which is red, belongs to John. |
| – The student who won the prize is in my class. | – Emily, who is my neighbor, baked a cake. | |
| Purpose | Identifies or restricts the noun to a specific subset. | Adds extra descriptive detail without restricting the noun. |
Hope things are much clearer now with regard to the difference between restrictive and nonrestrictive relative clauses!