ADJECTIVE CLAUSES
(Adapted from Understanding and using English Grammar written by Betty
Shrampfer Azar)
RESTRICTIVE/ESSENTIAL/DEFINING
NON-RESTRICTIVE/NON-ESSENTIAL/NON-DEFINING
RESTRICTIVE ADJECTIVE
CLAUSES
NONRESTRICTIVE ADJECTIVE
CLAUSES
1. Definition
a. A restrictive adjective clause is one that is
necessary to identify the noun that it modifies.
b. A restrictive clause provides “essential” or
“identifying” information and does not require
commas.
2. Examples
a. The professor who/that teaches Physics III
is an excellent teacher.
b. The woman whom/that/ ø you met at my
party is a former astronaut.
c. The newspaper which/that is on the table
has an interesting article on polar bears.
d. The television show which/that/ ø I watched
last night was informative.
3. Explanation
a. The adjective clauses in these examples are
essential in order to identify which professor,
which woman, which newspaper, or which
television show is meant.
b. Notice that restrictive (essential) clauses can
be introduced by that, who, whom, or which
and that the object pronoun can be eliminated
(ø) in examples b and d.
1. Definition
a. A nonrestrictive clause is one that is not
necessary to identify the noun that it modifies.
b. A nonrestrictive clause provides additional,
but “nonessential” information and requires
the use of commas.
2. Examples
a. Professor Santana, who teaches Literature,
is an excellent professor.
b. Justin Brown, whom you met at my party,
is a former astronaut.
c. The Miami Herald, which is on the table,
has an interesting article on polar bears.
d. CNN news, which I watched last night, was
very informative.
3. Explanation
a. The adjective clauses in these examples are
not necessary to identify the nouns that they
modify. We know which professor, woman,
newspaper and TV show because they have
been identified by name, so the information
provided in the adjective clause is additional
or nonessential.
b. Nonrestrictive (nonessential) clauses cannot
be introduced by that, and the object pronoun
cannot be eliminated.
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