How to Correct Errors

children wanted to play soccer. The adjective clause is used to identify which children ran to the open field. 19 b. Nonrestrictive Clauses Nonrestrictive clauses, on the other hand, called additive or appositive relative clauses. It set off by commas in writing and by pauses in speaking. 20 It also called Non-defining relative clauses functioning like noun. As Thomson and Martinet said that non-defining relative clauses are placed after nouns which are definite already. They do not therefore define the noun, but merely add something to it by giving some more information about it. Unlike defining relative clauses, they are not essential in the sentence and can be omitted without causing confusion. Also unlike defining relatives, they are separated from their noun by commas. The pronoun can never be omitted in a non-defining relative clause. The construction is fairly formal and more common in written than in spoken English. 21 The function of nonrestrictive clauses does not limit or identify. they do not affect the intention, nor restrict the number of the nouns or pronouns they modify. 22 A nonrestrictive clause contains additional information which is not required to give the meaning of the sentence. A nonrestrictive clause is set off from the other clause by commas and a restrictive clause is not. Who, whom, and which can be used in restrictive or nonrestrictive clauses. That can be used only in restrictive clauses. Normally, that is the preferred word to use in a restrictive clause, although which is acceptable. 23 According to Michael Swam, non- identifying expressions are often separated from the rest of the sentence by pauses or intonation-changes in speech, and by commas in writing as in the last two examples above. In writing, non-identifying relative clauses are always separated 19 Betty Scramper Azar, Understanding and…, p. 250. 20 Robert Krohn and the staff of the English language institute. English Sentence..., p. 185. 21 A. J. Thomson and A. V. Martinet, A Practical English Grammar, Oxford: Oxford University press, 1986, Fourth Ed., p. 85. 22 Homer C. House and Susan Emolyn Harman, Descriptive English…, p. 363. 23 Danny R. Cryssco, English Grammar…, p. 177.