What Are Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Adjective Clauses

Dr. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks.

An adjective clause functions almost exactly like an adjective in that it modifies a noun. Adjectival clauses are dependent clauses that usually begin with a relative pronoun (which, that, who, whom or whose) or a relative adverb (where, when, and why). Adjectives and adjectival clauses can specify size, shape, color, purpose, and more about their nouns.

There are nonrestrictive and restrictive adjectival clauses and these work a little differently. Here's a little bit about how to distinguish between the two types.

Nonrestrictive Adjective Clauses

An adjective clause set off from the main clause by commas (one comma if at the beginning or end of a sentence) is said to be nonrestrictive. Here's an example:

Old Professor Legree, who dresses like a teenager, is going through his second childhood.

This "who" clause is nonrestrictive because the information it contains doesn't restrict or limit the noun it modifies, old Professor Legree. Instead, the clause provides added but not essential information, which is signaled by commas. A nonrestrictive adjective clause can be removed without affecting a sentence.

Restrictive Adjective Clauses

A restrictive adjective clause, on the other hand, is essential to a sentence and should not be set off by commas.

An older person who dresses like a teenager is often an object of ridicule.

Here, the adjective clause restricts or limits the meaning of the noun it modifies (an older person). It is not set off by commas because it is necessary to the meaning of the sentence. If removed, the sentence (An older person is often an object of ridicule) would take on an entirely different meaning.

To review, an adjective clause that can be omitted from a sentence without affecting the basic meaning of the sentence should be set off by commas and is nonrestrictive. An adjective clause that cannot be omitted from a sentence without affecting the basic meaning of the sentence should not be set off by commas and is restrictive.

Practice Identifying Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses

For each sentence below, decide if the adjective clause (in italics) is restrictive or nonrestrictive. When you're done, check your answers at the bottom of the page.

1. Students who have young children are invited to use the free daycare center.
2. I left my son at the campus daycare center, which is free to all full-time students.
3. John Wayne, who appeared in over 200 movies, was the biggest box-office attraction of his time.
4. I refuse to live in any house that Jack built.
5. Merdine, who was born in a boxcar somewhere in Arkansas, grows homesick every time she hears the wail of a train whistle.
6. My new running shoes, which cost more than a hundred dollars, fell apart during the marathon.
7. I lent some money to Earl, whose house was destroyed in the flood.
8. The thing that impresses me the mostabout America is the way parents obey their children.
9. A physician who smokes and overeats has no right to criticize the personal habits of his patients.
10. The beer that made Milwaukee famous has made a loser out of me.

Answers

1. Restrictive
2. Nonrestrictive
3. Nonrestrictive
4. Restrictive
5. Nonrestrictive
6. Nonrestrictive
7. Nonrestrictive
8. Restrictive
9. Restrictive
10. Restrictive

Nordquist, Richard. "What Are Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Adjective Clauses." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/restrictive-and-nonrestrictive-adjective-clauses-1689689. Nordquist, Richard. (2023, April 5). What Are Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Adjective Clauses. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/restrictive-and-nonrestrictive-adjective-clauses-1689689 Nordquist, Richard. "What Are Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Adjective Clauses." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/restrictive-and-nonrestrictive-adjective-clauses-1689689 (accessed September 6, 2024).

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