Which subordinate clause

When the information in the clause clarifies a general noun, the clause is essential and will follow the same pattern that you saw above:. Nick gave a handful of potato chips to the dog that was sniffing around the picnic table. Dog is a general noun. Which one are we talking about? The adjective clause that was sniffing around the picnic table clarifies which animal we mean. The clause is thus essential and requires no punctuation.

When the adjective clause follows a specifi c noun, the punctuation changes. The information in the clause does not have the same importance, so the clause becomes nonessential, requiring a comma to connect it.

Nick gave a handful of potato chips to Button , who was sniffing around the picnic table. Button , the name of a unique dog, lets us know which animal we mean. The information in the adjective clause has diminished impact, which you indicate with the comma.

Adjective clauses can also interrupt a main clause. When this happens, use no punctuation for an essential clause. But if the clause is nonessential, separate it with a comma in front and a comma behind. After dripping mustard all over his chest, the man who was wearing a red shirt wished that he had instead chosen ketchup for his hotdog. Did you go to the factory where my friend Rob works? The adverbial clause is a subordinate clause that acts as an adverb!

An adverb clause may tell us the place, time, cause, or purpose of an action. They can also indicate condition. An adverb clause may answer the question: Where? Wherever there is alcohol , people will often fight. If you know where they work , you can schedule an appointment. The adverb clauses above answer the question, Where? Elements of a sentence that are essential should not be set apart with commas. I enjoy watching movies that employ lots of special effects.

There should be no comma separating the restrictive clause that employ lots of special effects from the main clause I enjoy watching movies because it is essential to the meaning of the sentence. The opposite is true with nonrestrictive clauses: they can be excised from a sentence without altering its core meaning.

Since they are nonessential, they should always be set apart with commas in a sentence. Watching Star Wars, which has lots of special effects, is my favorite thing to do. Without the nonrestrictive clause which has lots of special effects , the core idea of the sentence, Watching Star Wars is my favorite thing to do , is still intact. Real-time suggestions, wherever you write. What Is a Subordinate Clause? Catherine Traffis.

Grammar What Are Modal Verbs? Commas, after all, are just a type of parenthetical punctuation. Key Points If your subordinate clause is a fronted adverb, offset it with a comma. When the cake is brown, remove it from the oven. If your subordinate clause is at the back, don't use a comma. Remove the cake from the oven when it is brown. If your subordinate clause is an essential adjective, don't use commas.

My sister who lives in Boston gave me her laptop. I have more than one sister. The Boston-based one gave me her laptop.