A relative clause is a sentence part that provides additional information about a name or object, beginning with a relative pronoun. It is not a complete sentence and requires correct punctuation depending on whether it is restrictive or non-restrictive. Examples show the difference in punctuation and importance to the sentence.
A relative clause is part of a sentence that contains both a subject and a verb, but is not a complete sentence in and of itself. This type of clause begins with a relative pronoun such as “who” or “which” and functions as an adjective in a sentence to provide more information about a name or other object. The correct punctuation for a relative clause in a sentence depends on whether it is a restrictive or a non-restrictive clause. It is restrictive if it helps identify the word it modifies and is therefore essential, while non-restrictive clauses are non-essential and merely provide additional information.
In general, a clause is part of a sentence, which may be a complete sentence on its own or require more information to be a complete sentence. A relative clause is dependent; this means it is not a complete sentence by itself. There is a relative clause in the sentence “The boy who lives upstairs is my friend”. The section “who lives upstairs” is a clause that provides additional information on the object of the sentence, referred to by the relative pronoun “who”, but it is not a complete sentence.
Another example of a relative clause in a sentence is “The restaurant next door where Bill had that great pizza opens at noon.” In this example, the clause “where Bill had that great pizza” is relative and begins with the pronoun “where” followed by the subject of the clause, “Bill”. It provides additional information on the subject of the entire sentence, “The restaurant,” in much the same way that the clause in the previous example modified the subject, “The boy.” Both of these examples would become fragmentary sentences when used alone and require additional information not only for grammatical completion but also for clarity of meaning.
Each example is also a different kind of relative clause that requires a different kind of punctuation. In the first example, the information it provides, “who lives upstairs,” is essential to the sentence as it identifies the subject. Without this the sentence would be “The boy is my friend”, which is vague, and therefore the clause is considered restrictive. No punctuation is required as it is essential.
By contrast, the relative clause in the second example is nonrestrictive and nonessential. Without “where did Bill get that great pizza,” the sentence would be “The restaurant next door opens at noon.” In this example, the sentence still makes sense and the identity of the subject remains clear. The clause provides additional information, but does not identify the modifying subject, so commas are used to separate it from the rest of the sentence.
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