Grammar Worksheet · Grades 6–8

Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses Worksheet

A printable grammar worksheet for grades 6-8 on restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses. Students decide whether each underlined clause is essential (restrictive, no commas) or extra (nonrestrictive, set off with commas) across eight sentences, then answer four short questions. A complete answer key is included.

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Preview of page 1 of the Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses Worksheet

Subject

Grammar

Grades

Grades 6–8

Skill Focus

Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses, sentence structure

Lesson Length

20 minutes

Learning Objective

Students will tell restrictive from nonrestrictive clauses and know which take commas.

Punctuation

Restrictive or Nonrestrictive? When a Clause Needs Commas

A restrictive clause is needed to know which one you mean, so it takes no commas. A nonrestrictive clause is extra information you could drop, so it is set off with commas. The commas are not decoration — they change what the sentence says.

The comma rule — the short answer

Cover the clause with your finger and read the sentence without it.
If you no longer know which one, the clause is restrictive: no commas.
If the sentence still points to the same thing, it is nonrestrictive: use commas.
Students who arrive late must sign in. → only the late ones, so it is restrictive and takes no commas.
Ana, who arrived late, signed in. → it is Ana either way, so it is nonrestrictive and takes commas.
In American English, use that for restrictive clauses and which with commas for nonrestrictive ones.

Two sentences, two meanings

My brother who lives in Texas is a teacher. → no commas, so I have more than one brother and this is the Texas one.
My brother, who lives in Texas, is a teacher. → commas, so I have one brother and Texas is just extra news.

Signs a clause is nonrestrictive

it follows a person’s name, which already identifies them
it follows a one-of-a-kind thing: the Nile, which flows north, …
it begins with which in careful American writing
it could be moved into its own sentence without losing information

Signs a clause is restrictive

it begins with that
the noun in front of it is general: anyone, students, a book, people
removing it makes the sentence too broad, or simply untrue
it answers the question which one?

Punctuation details

a nonrestrictive clause in the middle needs commas on both sides — one comma alone is an error
at the end of a sentence one comma is enough: … signed in, which surprised us.
that is never used with commas
you may drop that when it is the object: the book (that) I borrowed
dashes or parentheses can replace the commas for a louder or quieter aside

Print the Comma Rule Chart (PDF)

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Other names for the same two ideas: restrictive clauses are called essential or defining, and nonrestrictive clauses are called nonessential or non-defining. The comma rule does not change.

Lesson Overview

About this worksheet

A restrictive clause gives information essential to the meaning of a sentence and takes no commas, while a nonrestrictive clause adds extra information and is set off with commas. This worksheet helps students decide which kind a clause is by asking whether it is needed to identify what the sentence is about.

Section A on page 1 gives eight sentences with one clause marked, and students write restrictive or nonrestrictive. The reference box teaches both with a ‘book that I borrowed’ example and a ‘My brother, who lives in Texas’ example, so the assessed sentences stay independent of the model.

Section B on page 2 asks what kind of information a restrictive clause gives, whether it takes commas, how a nonrestrictive clause is punctuated, and to write a sentence with a nonrestrictive clause. Page 3 is a complete answer key with sample answers. The skill builds on relative pronouns and comma rules.

How to Use This Lesson

Read the reference box aloud and try removing each example clause to test if the sentence still points to the right thing.

Complete Section A independently – have students ask ‘is this clause needed to know which one?’

Discuss why only nonrestrictive clauses get commas.

Use the answer key on page 3 for self-check.

Pair with the Relative Pronouns Worksheet or the Commas in a Series Worksheet.

Printable Resource

A classroom-ready PDF with everything in one printable resource.

Full Member Resource · Printable PDF · 3 pages · Answer Key