Restrictive and Non-Restrictive Relative clauses - ppt download - Free Printable

Let's solve the exercise on Restrictive and Non-Restrictive Relative Clauses step by step.

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🔹 Understanding the Difference:

- Restrictive relative clause:
- Gives essential information to identify the noun.
- No commas around the clause.
- If removed, the meaning changes or becomes unclear.

- Non-restrictive relative clause:
- Adds extra, non-essential information.
- Commas are used around the clause.
- Can be removed without changing the core meaning.

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Now let’s analyze each sentence:

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1. I have three brothers.

> a. My brother who lives in Sidney came to see me last month.
> b. My brother, who lives in Sidney, came to see me last month.

- a. No commas → Restrictive
- There are *three* brothers. This clause specifies *which one* came (the one who lives in Sidney).
- Without it, we wouldn’t know which brother is being referred to.

- b. Commas → Non-restrictive
- The clause adds extra info about *one specific brother*, but since there’s only one brother mentioned (implied), it's just additional detail.
- However, note: "I have three brothers" contradicts this — if you have three, saying "my brother" with commas implies you're talking about *one* of them, but giving extra info.
- But grammatically, if the clause is set off by commas, it’s non-restrictive, even if slightly confusing contextually.

✔ Answer:
- a. Restrictive
- b. Non-restrictive

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2. I have one sister.

> a. My sister who is 25 years old spent her holiday in France.
> b. My sister, who is 25 years old, spent her holiday in France.

- Since there is only one sister, the age isn't needed to identify her.
- So the clause is extra information.

- a. No commas → Restrictive?
- But here, it's not necessary to identify her — she's the only sister. So using no commas makes it sound like the age is essential, which it isn't.
- This is a common mistake — when there's only one person, the clause should be non-restrictive.

- b. With commas → Correctly signals non-restrictive.

✔ Answer:
- a. Restrictive (grammatically correct form, but semantically odd)
- b. Non-restrictive (correct choice)

👉 Note: Even though there’s only one sister, a uses no commas, so it’s treated as restrictive. But logically, it shouldn't be. Still, grammar rules follow structure.

So based on form, we say:
- a. Restrictive
- b. Non-restrictive

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4. We are on holiday. We have visited a monument.

> a. The monument which we visited is very old.
> b. The monument, which we visited, is very old.

- In a, no commas → Restrictive
- Implies there are multiple monuments, and we’re specifying *which one* we’re talking about.

- In b, commas → Non-restrictive
- Suggests there’s only one monument (or we don’t need to specify), and we're adding extra info.

But wait — the previous sentence says: "We have visited a monument." → singular. So only one monument was visited.

Thus, b is more appropriate because the clause adds extra info.

✔ Answer:
- a. Restrictive
- b. Non-restrictive

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5. We are on holiday. We have visited a monument.

> a. Hassan Tower monument which we visited is very old.
> b. Hassan Tower monument, which we visited, is very old.

- "Hassan Tower monument" is a specific, unique name — it's a proper noun.
- So we already know which monument it is.

Therefore, the clause "which we visited" is extra information, not essential.

- a. No commas → Restrictive → Incorrect, because the identity is already clear.
- b. Commas → Non-restrictive → Correct.

✔ Answer:
- a. Restrictive (but grammatically incorrect for this context)
- b. Non-restrictive (correct)

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✔ Final Answers:

| Question | Sentence | Type |
|--------|--------|------|
| 1a | My brother who lives in Sidney came to see me last month. | Restrictive |
| 1b | My brother, who lives in Sidney, came to see me last month. | Non-restrictive |
| 2a | My sister who is 25 years old spent her holiday in France. | Restrictive |
| 2b | My sister, who is 25 years old, spent her holiday in France. | Non-restrictive |
| 4a | The monument which we visited is very old. | Restrictive |
| 4b | The monument, which we visited, is very old. | Non-restrictive |
| 5a | Hassan Tower monument which we visited is very old. | Restrictive |
| 5b | Hassan Tower monument, which we visited, is very old. | Non-restrictive |

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📌 Summary Rule:

- No commas = Restrictive (essential info)
- Commas = Non-restrictive (extra info)

Even if the context seems odd, grammar follows punctuation.

Let me know if you’d like a chart or quiz to practice further!