Notes on Restrictive and Non-Restrictive Clauses

Introduction to Clauses

• Restrictive Clause: Necessary to identify the word it modifies.
  • Often begins with "who" or "that."
  • No commas are used.
• Non-Restrictive Clause: Provides additional, non-essential information.
  • Often begins with "who" or "which."
  • Commas are used.

Examples

Restrictive Clauses

• Example: "The astronaut who first stepped on the moon was Neil Armstrong."
  • Clause: "who first stepped on the moon," describes "the astronaut."
  • No commas are used.

Non-Restrictive Clauses

• Example 1: "Johnny, who just graduated from college, is an excellent pilot."
  • Non-restrictive clause: "who just graduated from college."
  • If removed, the sentence remains "Johnny is an excellent pilot."
  • Commas are used.
• Example 2: "The Jones brothers, which live down the street, went to school with me."
  • Non-restrictive clause: "which live down the street."
  • If removed, the sentence remains "The Jones brothers went to school with me."
  • Commas are used.

Key Differences

• Restrictive Clauses: Essential for sentence, no commas.
• Non-Restrictive Clauses: Provide extra information, use commas.

Conclusion

• Practice using both types of clauses to understand their importance and application.
• Remember: Restrictive = essential, no commas; Non-restrictive = additional, with commas.