Question

which sentence contains a restrictive clause?

the dance performance, which took place on a bridge, was quite interesting.
adela (who is a star athlete) has joined the debate club.
the tree that fell in our driveway will be removed on tuesday.
the cat—which has one green eye and one blue eye—likes to chase mice.

Explanation:

Define restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses

A restrictive clause provides essential information that limits or defines the noun it modifies and is not set off by punctuation (like commas, parentheses, or dashes). A nonrestrictive clause adds extra, non-essential information and must be set off by punctuation.

Analyze the given options

• Option 1: "The dance performance, which took place on a bridge, was quite interesting." The clause "which took place on a bridge" is set off by commas, making it nonrestrictive.
• Option 2: "Adela (who is a star athlete) has joined the debate club." The clause "who is a star athlete" is set off by parentheses, making it nonrestrictive.
• Option 3: "The tree that fell in our driveway will be removed on Tuesday." The clause "that fell in our driveway" is essential to identify which specific tree is being discussed and is not set off by punctuation, making it restrictive.
• Option 4: "The cat—which has one green eye and one blue eye—likes to chase mice." The clause "which has one green eye and one blue eye" is set off by em dashes, making it nonrestrictive.

Identify the correct sentence

The third sentence contains the restrictive clause "that fell in our driveway".

Answer:

• (A) The dance performance, which took place on a bridge, was quite interesting.
• (B) Adela (who is a star athlete) has joined the debate club.
• (C) The tree that fell in our driveway will be removed on Tuesday. (Correct answer)
• (D) The cat—which has one green eye and one blue eye—likes to chase mice.