Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses Examples

A restricted clause affects the noun that comes before it in a significant way. Such nouns are limited or identified by restrictive clauses, which cannot be deleted from a sentence without affecting the meaning of the phrase. A nonrestrictive clause, on the other hand, characterizes a noun in a superfluous manner.

What is a Restrictive Clause?

A restrictive clause prohibits or specifies the meaning of a noun or noun phrase in a sentence by providing the essential information about the noun. They are not separated from one another by commas. In writing, restrictive clauses are more prevalent than non-restrictive ones. A restrictive clause is often known as a crucial paragraph or phrase.

Examples of Restrictive Clauses

Let us illustrate with a few examples:

  • The student in the back of the classroom had a lot of questions.
  • The student who maintains the classroom’s discipline may win as the best student of the class.
  • The swimmer who is getting ready to take his best position is assured that he will win.
  • The data that I collected may result in beneficial societal transformation.
  • The driver who was confident in his ability to pass the written test failed the road test.
  • The automobile, which I purchased yesterday, has begun to malfunction.
  • The journalist whose report I read the day before had earned awards for her efforts.

When the relative pronoun serves as the sentence’s object, it can (and typically is) omitted from the relative clause.

Here are a few examples:

  • The data that I obtained may result in beneficial societal transformation.
  • The article that I asked to bring did not arrive on time.
  • I met the folks whom I questioned at the local library.

What are nonrestrictive clauses?

An unrestricted clause adds information to a sentence. It is generally a proper noun or a common noun that refers to a distinct person, item, or event. It uses commas to denote the addition of information. Within the sentence, the commas function similarly to brackets. Students will grasp the complete meaning of the phrase even if the information within the comma is deleted. Unrestricted clauses are frequently referred to as needless clauses or phrases.

A nonrestrictive clause (also known as a nonessential clause) is a sort of adjective clause that adds information to a term whose meaning is already evident. A nonrestrictive clause frequently begins with the word “which” and is always separated by commas.

Examples of Nonrestrictive Clauses

Here are a few examples:

  • I’d like to go to my father’s house, which he purchased recently.
  • The hypothesis, which I examined throughout the study, was shown to be false.
  • I finally discovered the item which I was looking for.
  • The player hit the last ball to the boundary, which he had been anticipating.
  • When the instructor arrived, the classroom was discovered to be empty.
  • I declined to shop at the market since it was too crowded.
  • My coworker, whom I previously mentioned, will pay us a visit for dinner tonight.
  • Chocolate cake, which is my favorite dessert, pairs wonderfully with nuts all over.
  • Midha, who is my closest friend’s brother, will accompany us on our journey.
  • Dogs are allowed to play at the park which is near my house.
  • Nathee, who is an art instructor, will show her work today.

Quick Links

  1. Kinds of Pronouns with Examples
  2. 5 Kinds of Clauses in English