Which clause adds non-essential information about a noun and is set off by commas?

Which clause adds non-essential information about a noun and is set off by commas?

• A. Non-restrictive clause
• B. Restrictive clause
• C. Adjective clause
• D. Relative clause

Answer: (A)

Non-essential information about a noun is provided by a non-restrictive clause, and it’s set off by commas. This kind of clause adds extra detail that isn’t needed to identify which person or thing is being spoken about, so you can remove it without changing the core meaning of the sentence. For example, The mayor, who lives downtown, announced a new policy. If you take out the extra detail, The mayor announced a new policy still makes sense and refers to the same person. This differs from a restrictive clause, which is essential for identifying the noun and does not use commas—The manager who approved the plan spoke first. Here the clause tightens meaning and can’t be removed without altering which manager is meant. All of this points to the non-restrictive clause as the one that adds non-essential information and is separated by commas.

Non-essential information about a noun is provided by a non-restrictive clause, and it’s set off by commas. This kind of clause adds extra detail that isn’t needed to identify which person or thing is being spoken about, so you can remove it without changing the core meaning of the sentence. For example, The mayor, who lives downtown, announced a new policy. If you take out the extra detail, The mayor announced a new policy still makes sense and refers to the same person. This differs from a restrictive clause, which is essential for identifying the noun and does not use commas—The manager who approved the plan spoke first. Here the clause tightens meaning and can’t be removed without altering which manager is meant. All of this points to the non-restrictive clause as the one that adds non-essential information and is separated by commas.