Commas with non-restrictive elements

Key Notes:

📝 Commas with Non-Restrictive Elements

What are Non-Restrictive Elements?

Non-restrictive elements are extra information in a sentence that isn’t essential to the meaning.

• You can remove them, and the sentence still makes sense.
• They are usually set off by commas.

💡 Example:

• My brother, 🎸 who plays guitar, is very talented.
• “who plays guitar” is extra info → use commas ✅

How to Identify Non-Restrictive Elements

• Ask yourself: “Can I remove this part and still understand the sentence?”
• If yes → it’s non-restrictive → use commas

💡 Example:

• The book, 📖 which I bought yesterday, is amazing.
• Remove “which I bought yesterday” → still makes sense → commas are correct ✅

Where Are the Commas Placed?

Before and after the non-restrictive element

💡 Example:

• My dog, 🐶 who loves to play, is sleeping.
• “who loves to play” → non-restrictive → commas before and after

Common Non-Restrictive Words/Phrases

• which → The car, 🚗 which is red, belongs to my dad.
• who → My teacher, 👩‍🏫 who is kind, helps everyone.
• whose → Mr. Sharma, 👨‍💼 whose office is upstairs, is on leave.
• where / when → Paris, 🇫🇷 where I stayed last summer, is beautiful.

Tips & Tricks

• Non-restrictive = extra info → use commas
• Restrictive = essential info → no commas
• Remove the non-restrictive part → sentence should still make sense

Fun Examples with Emojis

• My cat, 🐱 who loves milk, is very playful.
• The movie, 🎬 which we watched yesterday, was exciting.
• Mount Everest, 🏔️ the highest mountain in the world, is in Nepal.
• My friend, 👧 whose birthday is today, got a surprise cake.

let’s practice!