Which sentence contains a restrictive clause?
A) They decided to meet where the band was performing.
B) The children, sweaty and miserable, piled into the bus.
C) They put the baby, who was fast asleep, in his crib.
D) The girls, overwhelmed by the sale, bought many shoes.
E) The child, who was now wailing, ran toward his mother.
The Correct Answer and explanation is :
The correct answer is A) They decided to meet where the band was performing.
Explanation:
A restrictive clause is a type of dependent clause that provides essential information to the meaning of the sentence. It is crucial because it restricts or defines the noun it modifies; without this clause, the meaning of the sentence would change or become incomplete. Restrictive clauses typically do not require commas because they are integral to the sentence’s meaning.
In the sentence A, “where the band was performing” acts as a restrictive clause. It specifies the location of the meeting, meaning that without this clause, the sentence would be ambiguous or lack necessary context. The listener or reader would not know where the meeting was intended to take place, leading to confusion about the details.
On the other hand, sentences B, C, D, and E contain non-restrictive clauses, which provide additional, non-essential information about the noun in question. These clauses are set off by commas because they add extra detail that can be omitted without altering the main point of the sentence:
- B) “The children, sweaty and miserable, piled into the bus.” The phrase “sweaty and miserable” adds description but is not necessary for understanding who piled into the bus.
- C) “They put the baby, who was fast asleep, in his crib.” The clause “who was fast asleep” offers extra information but is not essential to identify the baby.
- D) “The girls, overwhelmed by the sale, bought many shoes.” The information about the girls being overwhelmed is supplementary.
- E) “The child, who was now wailing, ran toward his mother.” Again, “who was now wailing” is additional information that is not needed to understand the main action of the sentence.
In summary, restrictive clauses are critical to the sentence’s meaning and do not have commas, while non-restrictive clauses add extra detail and are set off by commas.