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Clauses - Restrictive and Nonrestrictive

1.  Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses Defined. Restrictive clauses limit the possible meaning of a preceding subject. Nonrestrictive clauses tell you something about a preceding subject, but they do not limit, or restrict, the meaning of that subject. Compare the following examples.
       
    Correct Restrictive Use:
     
      The suspect in the lineup who has red hair committed the crime.


    Note how the subject "suspect" in this sentence is restricted in two ways: we know that this suspect is both in the lineup and has red hair. As a result, we know that the other suspects, who are not in the lineup, could not have committed the crime. Moreover, of those suspects in the lineup, we know that the one suspect in the lineup with red hair committed the crime. If there were more than one suspect in the lineup with red hair, the above usage would be incorrect because it implies a different meaning.

    Correct Nonrestrictive Use:
     

      The suspect in the lineup, who owns a red car, committed the crime.


    In this example, the restrictive clause "in the lineup" tells us that of all possible suspects in the world, the one who committed the crime is in the lineup. However, while the nonrestrictive clause "who owns a red car" tells us something about the suspect, it does not foreclose the possibility that there are several different suspects in the lineup with red cars. The car color may tell us something useful, but it does not restrict us to only one possibility.

    2.  When choosing between "that" and "which," use "that" to introduce a restrictive clause and "which" to introduce a nonrestrictive clause. Although some writers use "which" to introduce a restrictive clause, the traditional practice is to use "that" to introduce a restrictive clause and "which" to introduce a nonrestrictive clause. When writing a restrictive clause, do not place a comma before "that." When writing a nonrestrictive clause, do place a comma before "which."

       
       
    Correct Restrictive Use:
     
      The store honored the complaints that were less than 60 days old.


    Correct Nonrestrictive Use:
     

      The store honored the complaints, which were less than 60 days old.


    These sentences have different meanings as well as different punctuation. In the restrictive sentence, the store honored only those complaints less than 60 days old, but not those over 60 days old. In the nonrestrictive sentence, the store honored all the complaints, all of which were less than 60 days old.

    3.  Place proper punctuation around nonrestrictive clauses, but do not place punctuation around restrictive clauses. When a nonrestrictive clause appears in the middle of a sentence, place commas around it. When a nonrestrictive clause appears at the end of a sentence, place a comma before it and a period after it. Do not punctuate restrictive clauses.

       
    Correct Punctuation of Nonrestrictive Clause:
     
      The 1964 Ford Mustang, which propelled Lee Iacocca to the top of the automobile industry, is now considered a classic.


    Correct Punctuation of Nonrestrictive Clause:
     

      The credit card is in my wallet, which you can find in the kitchen drawer.


    Correct Punctuation of Restrictive Clause:
     

      The boat that sailed on October 25 is the one to which we referred in the contract.