IXL | Commas with nonrestrictive elements

If the relative clause in bold is nonrestrictive, set it off with a comma. If it is restrictive, submit the text without making any changes.

Adam detected yet another error on his company's web page. "What this department needs," he complained, "is a proofreader who has better attention to detail."

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question

If the appositive in bold is nonrestrictive, set it off with commas. If it is restrictive, submit the text without making any changes.

The lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II is the only person named Oscar to have won an Academy Award.

key idea

Use commas to set off nonrestrictive information in a sentence. Nonrestrictive information is supplemental; it is not necessary in order for a reader to identify who or what is being discussed. Without the information, the meaning of the sentence would still be clear.

The Golden Gate Bridge, which first opened in 1937, took over four years to build.

The underlined information isn't required to interpret the sentence.

The Golden Gate Bridge took over four years to build.

Without the information, a reader still knows which bridge took four years to build.

Do not use commas to set off restrictive information in a sentence. Restrictive information is necessary in order for a reader to identify exactly who or what is being discussed. Without the information, the meaning of the sentence would become unclear.

The author J.K. Rowling was born in Yate, England.

The underlined information helps a reader identify which author is being discussed.

The author was born in Yate, England.

Without the information, a reader doesn't know which author is being discussed.

solution

The appositive Oscar Hammerstein II is restrictive. The information is needed to narrow down the lyricist being discussed, so do not set off the appositive with commas.

The lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II is the only person named Oscar to have won an Academy Award.

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