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Relative Clauses: Essential and Non-Essential Information — Answers

Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the Year 9 sentences & clauses worksheet.

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Success TutoringWorksheetsAnswer sheetYear 9 · English · Sentences & Clauses

Relative Clauses: Essential and Non-Essential Information — Answers

Part A: Find the relative clause

A relative clause adds information about a noun. It usually begins with a relative pronoun: who, whom, whose, which, that, or the word where or when.

1.Underline the relative clause and circle the relative pronoun: "The girl who won the race is my cousin."

Answer: Relative clause: who won the race. Relative pronoun: who.

2.Underline the relative clause: "The house where I grew up has been painted blue."

Answer: where I grew up.

3.Underline the relative clause: "My grandfather, whose stories I love, is visiting this weekend."

Answer: whose stories I love.

Part B: Essential or non-essential?

An essential clause tells us which person or thing is meant; leave out the commas. A non-essential clause adds extra information about someone or something already identified; put commas around it. Test: remove the clause. If the sentence still points to the same person or thing, the clause is non-essential.

4.Students who finish early may read quietly.
  1. Aessential (no commas)
  2. Bnon-essential (commas)

Answer: essential (no commas)

The clause tells us which students. Without it, the sentence would mean all students may read quietly.

5.My sister, who lives overseas, is visiting next month.
  1. Aessential (no commas)
  2. Bnon-essential (commas)

Answer: non-essential (commas)

The writer has one sister (or the clause is just extra detail). The sentence still identifies the person without it.

6.The book that I borrowed is overdue.
  1. Aessential (no commas)
  2. Bnon-essential (commas)

Answer: essential (no commas)

That introduces an essential clause identifying which book.

7.The Pacific Ocean, which is the largest ocean on Earth, covers about a third of the planet's surface.
  1. Aessential (no commas)
  2. Bnon-essential (commas)

Answer: non-essential (commas)

There is only one Pacific Ocean, so the clause is extra information and takes commas.

8.The player whose shoelace came undone tripped near the line.
  1. Aessential (no commas)
  2. Bnon-essential (commas)

Answer: essential (no commas)

The clause identifies which player tripped.

9.Our principal, who started last year, has introduced a reading club.
  1. Aessential (no commas)
  2. Bnon-essential (commas)

Answer: non-essential (commas)

A school has one principal, so the clause adds extra information.

Part C: Commas change meaning

10.Explain the difference in meaning: (a) "The students who had permission notes went on the excursion." (b) "The students, who had permission notes, went on the excursion."

Answer: (a) Only the students with permission notes went; others stayed behind. (b) All the students went, and all of them had permission notes.

11.Add commas if needed: "Mount Kilimanjaro which is in Tanzania is the highest mountain in Africa."

Answer: Mount Kilimanjaro, which is in Tanzania, is the highest mountain in Africa.

  1. There is only one Mount Kilimanjaro, so the clause is non-essential.
12.Add commas if needed: "People who exercise regularly tend to sleep better."

Answer: No commas needed: People who exercise regularly tend to sleep better.

  1. The clause tells us which people, so it is essential.
13.Leaving out commas in "My brother who lives in the city is a nurse" suggests the writer has more than one brother.

Answer: True

Without commas, the clause identifies which brother, implying there are others.

Part D: Combine the sentences

14.Combine using who: "Marie Curie won two Nobel Prizes. She studied radioactivity."

Answer: Marie Curie, who studied radioactivity, won two Nobel Prizes.

  1. Also correct: Marie Curie, who won two Nobel Prizes, studied radioactivity.
15.Combine using whose: "The author signed copies of her book. Her novel won the award."

Answer: The author whose novel won the award signed copies of her book.

  1. Here the clause is essential if it identifies which author among several. If only one author is present, commas are also correct.
16.Combine using where: "We visited the town. My mother was born there."

Answer: We visited the town where my mother was born.

Part E: Your turn

17.Your turn: write four sentences about people or places you know. Two should contain an essential relative clause (no commas) and two a non-essential relative clause (with commas). Use at least three different relative pronouns. After each sentence, explain in a few words why it does or does not need commas.

Model answer: 1. The café where we meet on Saturdays has closed. (essential: identifies which café) 2. My best friend, whose family runs a bakery, always brings bread rolls to school. (non-essential: I have one best friend) 3. Students who join the choir get to perform at the concert. (essential: only those students) 4. The library, which was rebuilt last year, now has a games room. (non-essential: there is only one school library)

Success criteria:

  • Two essential relative clauses without commas
  • Two non-essential relative clauses with paired commas
  • At least three different relative pronouns
  • Correct explanation of why commas are or are not needed
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