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:
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The student who sits in the back of the room asks a lot of questions.
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The results that I obtained may invoke positive social change.
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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:
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The results I obtained may invoke positive social change.
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The article I requested did not arrive on time.
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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:
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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.
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The hypothesis, which I tested throughout the research, was rejected.
Without the nonrestrictive clause: The hypothesis was rejected.
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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.
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✅ CORRECT: Minneapolis, which has a population of about 400,000, is the largest city in Minnesota.
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❌ INCORRECT: Minneapolis, that has a population of about 400,000, is the largest city in Minnesota.
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✅ CORRECT: I had to fix my printer, which I bought less than a year ago.
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❌ 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:
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Gun control is a controversial issue concerning personal rights. (“be” + prepositional phrase)
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The steps followed were explained in the Methods section. (passive)
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Other researchers exploring the same topic have discovered similar solutions. (progressive verb tense)
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Participants available to meet in my office completed their interview there. (“be” + “-able” adjective)
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Some of the subjects lived in urban areas with high crime rates. (“have” replaced by “with”)
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In this paper, I reviewed many research articles addressing the topic of gun control. (“–ing” clause)
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The changes to be implemented with the new curriculum revisions are outlined in the handout. (“to” clauses)
📝 EXERCISE
Look at the following sentences. Complete them using a pronoun:
who, that, which, where, when, whose
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That’s the closet _______ I keep my money.
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The city _______ I used to live in was not very small.
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The ladies _______ house I am staying at are very nice to me.
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Is this the shop _______ you said you sold the climbing equipment?
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Here is the spot _______ my uncle always used to talk about.
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I am in need of a jacket _______ will keep me dry.
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The nurse _______ examined the patient was very delicate.
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I live in Australia, _______ is a heavily populated country.
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Mike has a class of students _______ native tongue is not Spanish.
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Last week, I saw an old friend _______ I hadn’t seen for ages.
In which of these sentences can the pronoun be omitted?
Answer key
- That’s the closet where I keep my money.
- The city where I used to live in was not very small.
- The ladies whose house I am staying at are very nice to me.
- Is this shop where you said you sold the climbing equipment?
- Here is the spot that my uncle always used to talk about.
- I am in need of a jacket which will keep me dry.
- The nurse that examined the patient was very delicate.
- I live in Australia, which is a heavily populated country.
- Mike has a class of students whose native tongue is not Spanish.
- Last week, I saw an old friend that I hadn’t seen for ages.
1, 2, 5, 10
Walden University
