RESTRICTIVE & NON - RESTRICTIVE

 RESTRICTIVE & NON - RESTRICTIVE

A restrictive clause modifies the noun that precedes it in an essential way. 

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.

Because restrictive clauses provide key, identifying information, they are often referred to as essential clauses, and nonrestrictive clauses are also called nonessential clauses for the opposite reason. 

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 remove it from the sentence, we would be left with this:

The astronaut was Neil Armstrong.

There is nothing grammatically wrong with this 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 behaviour 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.

Would you lend me the book, that you recommended last week?

Would you lend me the book that you recommended last week?

The Lunatic which was written by Devkota is a classic satire.

The Lunatic, which was written by Devkota, is a classic satire.

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 Maya, is on the bedside table.

The lamp that Maya gave me is on the bedside table.

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

The lamp which Maya gave me is on the bedside table.

Another 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.

Restrictive and Non Restrictive Adjectives

An adjective clause is restrictive (also called essential) if it narrows down the word it modifies. It tells which one of the noun you are writing about. A restrictive adjective clause is necessary to the meaning of the sentence. It is not separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.

The players who are wearing the red uniforms are winning the game.

If we take out the clause, we won't know which players are winning the game. It's a restrictive or essential clause.

An adjective clause is nonrestrictive (also called nonessential) if we know exactly who is being written about without it. A nonrestrictive adjective clause is simply adding extra information. Nonrestrictive adjective clauses need commas around them.

Those girls, who have been friends for years, are all going to the same college.

Without the clause, we still know that those girls are going to the same college. The clause is nonrestrictive.

A proper noun is usually followed by a nonrestrictive clause.

Jitu Nepal, who is my best friend, is directing a new movie.

Without the clause, we know that it is Jitu Nepal who is directing a new movie.

The relative pronoun that always begins a restrictive clause. That can be used to replace who, whom, or which in restrictive clauses, but many prefer to use that only with non-human antecedents.

The oranges that you need for this recipe are on the table.

The workers who built this bridge did a good job.

The relative pronoun which generally begins a nonrestrictive clause. It can begin a restrictive clause, but most writers use it only for nonrestrictive clauses.

The oranges, which have been sitting on the table for a week, are starting to look brown.

RESOURCES:

 

Leech, G., & Svartvik, J. (2013). A Communicative Grammar of English. London and New York: Routledge.

Nash, K. (2021, May 11). Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Adjective Clauses. Retrieved from English Grammar: https://www.englishgrammar101.com/module-10/clauses/lesson-3/restrictive-and-nonrestrictive-adjective-clauses

Traffis, C. (2021, May 11). Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses—What’s the Difference? Retrieved from Grammarly Blog: https://www.grammarly.com/blog/using-that-and-which-is-all-about-restrictive-and-non-restrictive-clauses/?gclid=Cj0KCQjws-OEBhCkARIsAPhOkIY1pILbZCOGw2M9Cm6PC4Fp3FnPjPa6nRoP8-IL40Lua4VIUJwcEy0aAlE8EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds