Welcome!
Welcome to the Learning Commons Quick Start Guide to Restrictive and Non-restrictive Qualifiers!
Often when writing, we need to add further clarification about a noun beyond simply using the noun itself. This qualifying information can either provide new information about the noun or cause the noun to refer to a more specific person, place, or thing. Although they appear similar, these two types of qualifiers need to be treated differently in order to reduce confusion.
This guide will explain:
- The difference between restrictive and non-restrictive qualifiers
- How to punctuate them
Qualifiers 101
Course Information
Course Level: Beginner
Time to Complete: <10 mins
Perfect for: Students in WRTG100/101, ENGL103, or anyone who needs a refresher.
Guide Creator: Abby Pernsteiner
This video introduces important information about restrictive and non-restrictive qualifiers:
- What a restrictive modifier is
- What a non-restrictive modifier is
- How to punctuate them.
What’s the Difference?
A restrictive modifier is information that is essential to the meaning of the sentence. Without it, something important would be missing. For example, in the sentence “The beach that we go to every summer is in California”, the modifier “that we go to every summer” is essential information. The speaker is referencing a specific beach by distinguishing it. It is not just a beach in California, but a specific one.
A non-restrictive modifier, meanwhile, is a clause that is not essential to the meaning of the sentence. For example: “Jade, a quick-learning girl, loves her dog and her grandfather.” In this sentence, while “a quick-learning girl” does provide some context to who Jade is, it is not essential to the ultimate meaning of the sentence.
Often what qualifies as a restrictive or non-restrictive modifier is very context dependent. However, there are a few quick ways to tell, as seen on the next page.
Which, That, and Who
Which, that, and who can act as tip-offs about whether a modifier is restrictive or non-restrictive. For instance, a modifier proceeded by that is typically restrictive: “This is the green house that we bought last summer.” Which, meanwhile, typically proceeds non-restrictive modifiers: “The house, which we bought last summer, is green.”
Who, meanwhile, is a little more context dependent. For example, you can have “I need to meet with the one who filed the budget”, which is restrictive, but you can also have “I met with John, who filed the budget”. Often it requires your discretion as a writer to distinguish the two. However, if the modifier is restrictive, then who will usually be interchangeable with that.
Your Turn: Test Your Understanding!
Punctuating Qualifiers
Next is the issue of how to punctuate modifiers. Ultimately, once you have determined whether a modifier is restrictive or non-restrictive, it becomes a simple matter to punctuate. A restrictive modifier does not require its own punctuation. Non-restrictive modifiers, meanwhile, should be set off by commas (one if at the end of the sentence, two if in the middle). Example: My sister, Martha, is a nurse.
Your Turn: Test Your Understanding!
Self-Check
Additonal Resources
Below are some great links to follow if you want to read more on restrictive and non-restrictive qualifiers:
- Upwrite Press Blog
- English Plus
- https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/grammarpunct/commas/
If you would like to talk any of this through then we look forward to talking to you. Book an appointment!