Which sentence contains a restrictive clause? __A They decided to meet where the band was performing. __B The children, sweaty and miserable, piled onto the bus. __C They put the baby, who was fast asleep, in his crib. __D The girls, overwhelmed by the sale, bought many shoes. __E The child who was wailing, ran toward his mother.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is A. They decided to meet where the band was performing.
Explanation:
A restrictive clause (also called a defining clause) is a part of a sentence that provides essential information about the noun it modifies. Without this clause, the meaning of the sentence would change or become unclear. Restrictive clauses are not set off by commas.
In contrast, a nonrestrictive clause adds extra information that can be omitted without changing the basic meaning of the sentence. These clauses are usually set off by commas.
Let’s analyze the options:
- A. They decided to meet where the band was performing.
The phrase “where the band was performing” tells us the specific place they decided to meet. It restricts or defines where they met. This is essential information, and it is not set off by commas. This is a classic example of a restrictive clause. - B. The children, sweaty and miserable, piled onto the bus.
The phrase “sweaty and miserable” describes the children but is additional, nonessential information. It’s set off by commas, so this is a nonrestrictive clause (actually, more of a phrase). - C. They put the baby, who was fast asleep, in his crib.
The clause “who was fast asleep” adds extra information about the baby but is not essential to identify which baby. It is set off by commas, making it a nonrestrictive clause. - D. The girls, overwhelmed by the sale, bought many shoes.
The phrase “overwhelmed by the sale” is additional information about the girls, set off by commas. This is nonrestrictive. - E. The child who was wailing, ran toward his mother.
The clause “who was wailing” is essential to identify which child. However, there is a comma after the clause, which is incorrect because restrictive clauses should not be set off by commas. This sentence is punctuated incorrectly, but the clause itself is restrictive in meaning.
Summary:
- Restrictive clauses restrict or define the noun and are not surrounded by commas.
- Nonrestrictive clauses add extra information and are set off by commas.
- The only sentence with a properly punctuated restrictive clause is A.
Therefore, A is the correct answer.