Nonessential and Essential Clauses

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What is a Nonessential Clause?

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A Nonessential Clause is a part of a sentence that adds extra information but is not necessary for the sentence to make sense. It is usually set off by commas.

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What is an Essential Clause?

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An Essential Clause is a part of a sentence that provides information crucial to the meaning of the sentence. It is not set off by commas.

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How do you identify a Nonessential Clause in a sentence?

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A Nonessential Clause can often be identified by its ability to be removed from the sentence without changing the overall meaning.

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What punctuation is used with Nonessential Clauses?

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Nonessential Clauses are set off by commas.

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What punctuation is used with Essential Clauses?

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Essential Clauses are not set off by commas.

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What are FANBOYS?

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FANBOYS is an acronym for the coordinating conjunctions: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.

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What is the role of Coordinating Conjunctions in a sentence?

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Coordinating Conjunctions connect words, phrases, or independent clauses that are similar or equal.

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Can a Nonessential Clause be removed from a sentence?

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Yes, a Nonessential Clause can be removed without altering the fundamental meaning of the sentence.

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Can an Essential Clause be removed from a sentence?

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No, removing an Essential Clause would change the meaning of the sentence.

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What is an example of a Nonessential Clause?

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"My brother, who lives in New York, is visiting this weekend." (The clause 'who lives in New York' is nonessential.)