Cláusulas Restrictivas y No Restrictivas: Uso y Ejemplos

Curso de Inglés Intermedio Alto B2: Suposiciones e Instrucciones

Contenido del curso

Introduction

1
Inglés Intermedio B2: Uso de Oraciones Relativas en Contextos Reales
02:51 min

Working with Infinitives

Rules and Instructions in Common Places

Reporting what others say

Description and Clarification

Expressing Reason, Probability and Contrast

Congratulations and see you soon!

23
Habilidades de Uso de Infinitivos y Reporte de Información
01:08 min

Tomar examen

Restrictive Clauses
A restrictive clause limits or defines the meaning of a noun or noun phrase and provides essential information about the noun in the sentence. It is not separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. Restrictive clauses are more common in writing than nonrestrictive clauses. A restrictive clause is also sometimes referred to as an essential clause or phrase.

Here are a few examples:

The student who sits in the back of the room asks a lot of questions.
The results that I obtained may invoke positive social change.
The journalist whose story I read yesterday has won prizes for her work.

When the relative pronoun functions as the object of the sentence, it can (and often is) omitted from the relative clause.

Here are a few examples:

The results I obtained may invoke positive social change.
The article I requested did not arrive on time.
The participants I interviewed met me at the local library.

Nonrestrictive Clauses
A nonrestrictive clause adds extra information to a sentence. It usually refers to a proper noun or a common noun that identifies a unique person, thing, or event. It is separated by commas to indicate that the information is additional. The commas function almost like parentheses. If the information between the commas is omitted, the sentence still retains its core meaning. A nonrestrictive clause is also known as a nonessential clause or phrase.

Here are a few examples:

I want to thank my father, Mark Smith, for all of his love and support.
Without the nonrestrictive clause: I want to thank my father for all of his love and support.
The hypothesis, which I tested throughout the research, was rejected.
Without the nonrestrictive clause: The hypothesis was rejected.
I have found the article, which I have been looking for.
Without the nonrestrictive clause: I have found the article.

Although “that” is sometimes used in restrictive clauses, it is not allowed in nonrestrictive clauses.

✅ CORRECT: Minneapolis, which has a population of about 400,000, is the largest city in Minnesota.
❌ INCORRECT: Minneapolis, that has a population of about 400,000, is the largest city in Minnesota.
✅ CORRECT: I had to fix my printer, which I bought less than a year ago.
❌ INCORRECT: I had to fix my printer, that I bought less than a year ago.

A relative pronoun cannot be omitted in a nonrestrictive clause.

Reduced Relative Clauses
In academic writing, relative clauses are often reduced to create a more concise style and greater sentence variety. When reducing a relative clause, you must delete the relative pronoun and either delete or change the verb.

Examples:

Gun control is a controversial issue concerning personal rights. (“be” + prepositional phrase)
The steps followed were explained in the Methods section. (passive)
Other researchers exploring the same topic have discovered similar solutions. (progressive verb tense)
Participants available to meet in my office completed their interview there. (“be” + “-able” adjective)
Some of the subjects lived in urban areas with high crime rates. (“have” replaced by “with”)
In this paper, I reviewed many research articles addressing the topic of gun control. (“–ing” clause)
The changes to be implemented with the new curriculum revisions are outlined in the handout. (“to” clauses)