Non-restrictive Clause

What Is a Non-restrictive Clause? (with Examples)

A non-restrictive clause is a clause which is not needed to identify the word it modifies, i.e., it is just additional information. As a non-restrictive clause is not essential to the meaning of a sentence, it is offset with commas. For example:

• Peter Jones , who plays goalkeeper for our village football team, has worked at his father's greengrocers for twenty years.
(The shaded text is a non-restrictive clause. It describes Peter Jones , but it does not identify him. It is merely additional information about him. Deleting this clause would not affect the meaning.)

Non-restrictive clauses contrast with restrictive clauses. Look at this example of a restrictive clause:

• The man who plays goalkeeper for our village football team has worked at his father's greengrocers for twenty years.
(The bold text is a restrictive clause. It describes the man, and it identifies him. It is not just additional information. It is essential for understanding.)

You are not limited to commas when offsetting a non-restrictive clause. You can parentheses (brackets) or dashes too.

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Examples of Non-restrictive Clauses

Here are some more examples of non-restrictive clauses:

• I went to London with John Baker, who lives next door.
(This is just additional information. It's a non-restrictive clause.)
• Betty, who is still on the ferry, will arrive before 4 o'clock.
(This is just additional information. It's a non-restrictive clause.)