Restrictive Clause

restrictive clause

Restrictive clauses are often called "defining clauses," and non-restrictive clauses are often called "non-defining" clauses. These terms are more intuitive because defining a noun is a clearer idea than restricting a noun.

Real-Life Examples of Restrictive Clauses

It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues. (President Abraham Lincoln)
The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. (Philosopher Saint Augustine) (Restrictive clauses can modify pronouns too.)
I live in that solitude which is painful in youth but delicious in the years of maturity. (Physicist Albert Einstein) (This restrictive clauses starts with "which." Many in the US consider this a British convention. Americans prefer "that." See Issue 2 below.)
A man's character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation . (Writer Mark Twain)
Batman can handle sadness and depression. You throw happiness at him? That's something that riles him . That's something that he's not used to . (Author Tom King)
How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese ? (French President Charles De Gaulle)
Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs which properly concern them . (Poet Paul Valery)
Given a choice between two theories, take the one which is funnier .
I love that I have a job that I love . (Russian skater Ekaterina Gordeeva)
Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night . (Writer Edgar Allan Poe) (This quotation has three restrictive clauses, including a restrictive clause within a restrictive clause.)

Why Restrictive Clauses Are Important

There are four common issues related to restrictive clauses:

(Issue 1) Restrictive clauses are not offset with commas.

Don't put commas around a restrictive clause. Look at the examples above again. There are no commas around any of the restrictive clauses (i.e., the shaded texts).

Restrictive clauses contrast with non-restrictive clauses. Unlike restrictive clauses, non-restrictive clauses are not essential for meaning. They just provide bonus information. Non-restrictive clauses are so unessential, they can be deleted, put in brackets or – more commonly – offset with commas.

My cousins who live in the country are scared of sheep. (The shaded text is a restrictive clause. It identifies my cousins as the ones from the country, i.e., not some other cousins.)
My cousins, who live in the country, are scared of sheep. (In this example, there are commas around "who live in the country." The commas tell us it is a non-restrictive clause; i.e., it's just bonus information. You'd now infer that all my cousins are scared of sheep. We could delete the non-restrictive clause or put it in brackets if we wanted. That's a good test for a non-restrictive clause:

Test for a Non-restrictive Clause

If you'd happily put it in brackets or delete it, use commas.

Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs which properly concern them .
Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs, which properly concern them .

Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs.

(Issue 2) Brits like "which," but Americans don't.

In British English, most restrictive clauses start with "who," "which," or "that." Americans, however, don't like using "which" to start a restrictive clause. They way prefer using "that."

The apple tree which produced no apples last year has loads of blossom. ( ) but ( )
(This is acceptable to Brits but not to most Americans.)
The apple tree that produced no apples last year has loads of blossom. ( ) and ( )
(This is acceptable to Brits and Americans.)

So, most Americans would have gone with the following:

Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs that properly concern them . (Remember that Americans don't like using "which" to start a restrictive clause.)

It's worth saying, at this point, that "that" never starts a non-restrictive clause (not in British English or American English). So, you'll never get a comma before an adjective clause that starts with "that." "That" is strictly for restrictive clauses.

"Almas" caviar, that costs over £20,000 per kilo, comes from the Iranian Beluga fish and is the most expensive food in the world. (You can't head a non-restrictive clause with "that." Here, "which" would have been okay.)

(Issue 3) Some people won't like you using "that" for people .

I think that anybody that smiles automatically looks better. (Actress Diane Lane)
All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable , those that are movable , and those that move . (US Founding Father Benjamin Franklin)

(Issue 4) Sometimes, omitting "which" or "that" will give you a more natural-sounding sentence.

The dog which you fed is outside. (Using "which" with a restrictive clause is okay for Brits but not Americans. That said, it sounds a bit contrived, even to the British ear.)
The dog that you fed is outside. (Using "that" with a restrictive clause is okay for Brits and Americans. It sounds less contrived than using "which," but it's still fairly unnatural sounding.)
The dog you fed is outside. (This is okay for all, and it sounds natural.)

The mouse the cat the dog chased chased ate the cheese.

The mouse that the cat that the dog chased chased ate the cheese. (It's still a tough sentence to follow, but using the "that" option helps to unpick it.)

Buying food from farmers that I know adds that human element that I love . (Chef Alex Guarnaschelli)

Buying food from farmers ~~that~~ I know adds that human element ~~that~~ I love. (We now only have one "that" in the sentence, instead of three, and – as a bit of a bonus – we've avoided the "that"-for-people issue.)

Key Points

Don't put commas around a restrictive clause (i.e., one that's essential for identification). (NB: If you'd happily delete your clause, then it's not a restrictive clause, and it should be offset with commas.)
Don't start a restrictive clause with "which" if you're American or writing to Americans. Use "that" instead.
Use "who" not "that" for people. Using "that" isn't a grammar crime, but "who" is a bit sharper.
You can often reduce your word count and create a more natural-sounding sentence by omitting a "which," "that," or "who" at the start of a restrictive clause. Strike a balance with clarity though. If the omission makes your text less clear, don't go with it.

This page was written by Craig Shrives.