Commas with Nonrestrictive Elements
A Grade 9 ELA worksheet focusing on identifying and correctly punctuating nonrestrictive clauses and phrases.
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Commas with Nonrestrictive Elements
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Read each section carefully and follow the instructions provided. This worksheet focuses on the correct use of commas with nonrestrictive elements.
A nonrestrictive element (also called a nonessential element) is a word, phrase, or clause that provides additional information about a noun or pronoun but is not necessary to the meaning of the sentence. If you remove a nonrestrictive element, the core meaning of the sentence remains the same. Nonrestrictive elements are always set off by commas.
Example: My brother, who lives in California, is coming to visit.
In this sentence, 'who lives in California' is a nonrestrictive clause. We know who 'my brother' is without this extra information.
Read each sentence. If it contains a nonrestrictive element, add commas where necessary. If it does not, write 'correct' in the blank.
1. The old house which stood on the hill was finally sold.
2. My best friend Sarah is an excellent artist.
3. The student who scored the highest on the test received an award.
4. The history book a gift from my aunt is very informative.
5. The car that is parked illegally will be towed.
Choose the sentence that uses commas correctly with a nonrestrictive element.
1. Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
My teacher, Mr. Harrison, assigned a challenging project.
The book, that I read, was very interesting.
Students who, study hard usually succeed.
The dog, named Max, barks loudly.
2. Choose the sentence with the correct comma usage.
My new computer, which has a fast processor, cost a lot of money.
The girl, who wears glasses, is my sister.
The movie, that we watched, was very long.
A student, who arrives late, misses important instructions.
Rewrite the following sentences, adding commas to correctly punctuate any nonrestrictive elements. If a sentence has no nonrestrictive element, write 'no change needed.'
1. My grandmother who is 85 years old still drives a car.
2. The capital of France Paris is a beautiful city.
3. The student whose essay won the competition received a scholarship.
Determine if the following statements about nonrestrictive elements are True or False.
1. Nonrestrictive elements are essential to the meaning of a sentence.
True
False
2. Commas are used to set off nonrestrictive elements.
True
False