Nonessential Clauses in English Grammar

Nonessential Clauses

• A nonessential clause, also known as a nonrestrictive clause, provides additional information about the sentence, but it is not essential to the sentence's meaning.
• Nonessential clauses are typically set off by commas.
• They can be removed from the sentence without changing its basic meaning.
• Example: "The teacher, who was wearing a red hat, gave the lesson." (The clause "who was wearing a red hat" is nonessential, providing additional information about the teacher.)

Relative Pronouns

• Relative pronouns are used to introduce relative clauses.
• The most common relative pronouns are:
  • Who (for people)
  • Which (for animals, objects, and ideas)
  • That (for people, animals, objects, and ideas)
  • Whom (for the object of a verb or preposition, referring to people)
  • Whose (for possession, referring to people, animals, and objects)
• Relative pronouns replace the noun or pronoun in the sentence, connecting the dependent clause to the independent clause.
• Example: "The book, which is on the table, is mine." (The relative pronoun "which" replaces the noun "book" and connects the dependent clause to the independent clause.)

Restrictive Clauses

• A restrictive clause, also known as an essential clause, provides essential information about the sentence and is necessary to its meaning.
• Restrictive clauses are not set off by commas.
• They cannot be removed from the sentence without changing its basic meaning.
• Example: "The book that is on the table is mine." (The clause "that is on the table" is restrictive, providing essential information about which book is being referred to.)
• Restrictive clauses can be used to identify a specific noun or pronoun, and to clarify the meaning of the sentence.

Nonessential Clauses

• Provide additional information about the sentence, but are not essential to its meaning.
• Typically set off by commas.
• Can be removed from the sentence without changing its basic meaning.
• Example: "The teacher, who was wearing a red hat, gave the lesson."

Relative Pronouns

• Used to introduce relative clauses.
• Common relative pronouns:
  • Who (for people)
  • Which (for animals, objects, and ideas)
  • That (for people, animals, objects, and ideas)
  • Whom (for the object of a verb or preposition, referring to people)
  • Whose (for possession, referring to people, animals, and objects)
• Replace the noun or pronoun in the sentence, connecting the dependent clause to the independent clause.
• Example: "The book, which is on the table, is mine."

Restrictive Clauses

• Provide essential information about the sentence and are necessary to its meaning.
• Not set off by commas.
• Cannot be removed from the sentence without changing its basic meaning.
• Example: "The book that is on the table is mine."
• Used to identify a specific noun or pronoun, and to clarify the meaning of the sentence.

Relative Clauses

• A relative clause is a type of subordinate clause that begins with a relative pronoun and provides additional information about a noun in the main clause.

Types of Relative Clauses

Defining Relative Clauses

• Provide essential information about the noun they modify.
• Cannot be removed from the sentence without changing its meaning.
• Examples:
  • The book, which is on the table, is mine.
  • The woman who is smiling is my sister.

Non-Defining Relative Clauses

• Provide additional, but not essential, information about the noun they modify.
• Can be removed from the sentence without changing its meaning.
• Examples:
  • The book, which I read last week, is on the table.
  • My sister, who is a doctor, is very smart.

Relative Pronouns

Who

• Used for people.
• Example: The student who got the highest grade is very happy.

Whom

• Used for people, but as an object.
• Example: The student whom I met yesterday is very nice.

Whose

• Used to show possession.
• Example: The student whose book is on the table is very smart.

Which

• Used for things.
• Example: The book, which is on the table, is mine.

That

• Used for both people and things.
• Example: The student that got the highest grade is very happy.

Omitting the Relative Pronoun

• In some cases, the relative pronoun can be omitted, especially in informal writing.
• Example: The book I read last week is on the table.