When considering whether or not to set an element of a sentence off with commas, you must first determine whether the element is essential or nonessential to the meaning of the sentence. If the sentence’s meaning would be altered by removing it, an element is considered to be restrictive; if the element only serves to augment the sentence, but does not change the meaning of the sentence, it is nonrestrictive and, therefore, requires commas.
Nonrestrictive: The man, who had formerly been a member of the MIT blackjack team, won over 2 million dollars at the casino.
The man won over 2 million dollars at the casino.
In the above example, the element is nonrestrictive because the sentence would have the same meaning, though would lose detail, if the element were to be removed. Notice that the meaning of the sentence survives the omission of the nonrestrictive element.
Restrictive: Priests who molest children should be prosecuted.
Priests should be prosecuted.
In this example, omitting the bold element would indubitably alter the meaning of the sentence. Without the restrictive element, the sentence would mean that all priests should be prosecuted, rather than just priests who molest children.
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