Some or All
Restrictive vs. nonrestrictive clauses
The way you punctuate a sentence with a clause can change it meaning!
- specific (restrictive)
- all (non-restrictive)
Specific vs. All
| RESTRICTIVE -- REFERS TO SOME | NONRESTRICTIVE -- REFERS TO ALL |
|---|---|
A restrictive clause refers to a smaller group or a specific kind. |
A non-restrictive clause refers to all in general and provides extra information about them. |
The bio-scientist who creates green energy will make a profit. |
The bio-scientist, who creates green energy, will make a profit. |
The "green" household that reduces waste will save energy.
NOTE: Who or that can be used, not which. |
The "green" household, which reduces waste, will save energy.
NOTE: Who or which can be used, not that. |
household=all the people living and working in the house
Practice
Join the two sentences into one. Decide whether to add commas to the clause:
- If the clause adds information that helps identify noun, don't add commas.
- If the clause adds "extra" (nonidentifying information) to the noun it modifies, add comma(s).
