20
QuizMultiple Choice

Punctuating Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Elements

Question 20 • GA-Literature and Composition I

Which sentence contains a restrictive phrase?

Answer
A
Madeline (the neighbor’s cat) was sleeping peacefully in the sun.
B
The novelist—my favorite by far—was kindly autographing books.
C
Jonah, the fastest runner on the track team, injured his left ankle.
D
The window in the living room provides the best natural sunlight.

Explanation

A restrictive phrase narrows down or identifies the noun it describes and is not set off by commas or dashes. In “The window in the living room,” the phrase “in the living room” specifies which window. The phrases in A, B, and C add extra information about nouns already identified, so they are nonrestrictive.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.

Previous
Next