6.1: Introduction to Adjective Clauses/Restrictive and Non-Restrictive Adjective Clauses
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Adjective clauses are dependent clauses that describe nouns. Adjective clauses use relative pronouns to replace the noun they are describing. Some adjective clauses give necessary information to understand which noun they are describing. Other adjective clauses give extra information.
Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns usually begin adjective clauses although there are some exceptions that will be covered later.
|
Relative Pronoun |
Reference |
Grammatical Function |
|
which |
specific things (non-human)-used with commas |
subject, object, or object of a preposition |
|
that |
general things or people-not used with commas |
subject or object |
|
who |
people |
subject |
|
whom |
people |
object or object of a preposition |
|
whose |
possessive pronouns or nouns (his, her, its, their) |
subject or object |
|
when |
time |
object |
|
where |
place |
object |
Table 15 Relative Pronouns
For more information on this topic, watch this video: Relative Pronouns & Clauses-English Grammar Lesson
Restrictive and Non-Restrictive Clauses
A restrictive clause is an adjective clause that provides important information to help the reader identify or understand the noun it is describing. It is important to understand restrictive clauses because they do not require commas and might influence which relative pronoun you use. Nonrestrictive clauses provide additional information about the referent noun. The reader can identify the noun without using the adjective clause.
Restrictive Clause: The girl who is sitting in the front is new.
Non-Restrictive Clause: Mariam, who is absent today, speaks K’iche.
If I asked you, “Do you know the girl?” You would probably respond, “Which girl?” My response to you would restrict which girl I am referring to. This is the case in the first example above. Therefore, no comma is necessary. In the second example, I give a name, so it is likely you know the reference. Therefore, I put commas around the adjective clause. In the above examples, both adjective clauses are referring to a person, but what happens when the noun is nonhuman?
Restrictive Clause: The car that is in my driveway is my brother’s.
Non-Restrictive Clause: My car, which needs to be washed, rides smoothly.
In the first example, the noun (car) is general. It’s likely you are not sure which car I am referring to until I say, “that is in my driveway”. However, in the second example I say, “my car” and this is specific, so the relative pronoun “which” and commas are used.
For more information on this topic, watch these videos: Commas or No Commas? Restrictive vs. Non-Restrictive Relative Clauses
Exercise 12-Restrictive and Non-Restrictive Clauses
Read the sentences below. Identify the adjective clause and whether the adjective clauses are restrictive or non-restrictive.
1. The United States, which has the highest incarceration rate in the world, is experiencing a crisis.
a. Restrictive
b. Non-Restrictive
2. The country whose economy is collapsing has not responded to its citizens’ needs.
a. Restrictive
b. Non-Restrictive
3. The radio station that plays soft rock has poor reception near the freeway.
a. Restrictive
b. Non-Restrictive
4. My favorite radio station, which often plays Stevie Nicks, has a great signal at my house.
a. Restrictive
b. Non-Restrictive
5. The woman who smokes in her car works for an office that prohibits smoking on its property.
a. Restrictive
b. Non-Restrictive
Page from High Intermediate Academic Grammar for ESL Students Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 
Try itINSTRUCTIONS: Read each sentence. Add commas where necessary.
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