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Restrictive or Non-Restrictive Clause involving "which"

 
 
Reply Fri 13 Feb, 2015 07:58 am
Hey all, I'm having a hard time figuring out if I need a comma before "which" in this sentence. I'm pretty sure its restrictive, but for some reason I feel like the comma before "which" is correct. Here is the sentence:

I am also working as a teaching assistant for a Lawyering Process II class, which is our school's 1L required writing and research class.
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layman
 
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Reply Fri 13 Feb, 2015 08:42 am
@KillerSOS,
As I understand it (I had to look it up):

1. Restrictive clauses are essential to the intended meaning, and therefore are NOT set off by a comma(s)

2. Non-restrictive clauses are NOT essential to the meaning (they merely add additional information) and ARE set off by commas.

I can't see how "which is our school's 1L required writing and research class" would be considered essential, so, like you, I would think inclusion of the comma is correct.

Which is another way of saying I don't think it's restrictive, I guess.

http://web.ku.edu/~edit/which.html
layman
 
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Reply Fri 13 Feb, 2015 09:03 am
@layman,
If your school had two or more classes entitled "lawyering process II," only one of which was required for 1l students, then I guess it could be a "restrictive" clause in that case. Not likely, though.
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layman
 
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Reply Fri 13 Feb, 2015 10:58 pm
@layman,
Quote:
Which is another way of saying I don't think it's restrictive, I guess.


Actually, as I read it, if is was restrictive you would be required to use the word "that," rather than "which." So the very choice of the word "which" means that you have decided that what follows is non-restrictive.

Another "fine point," that I never knew (or at least never paid any attention to). That's actually why this post was "clickbait" for me. I realize that I often use "that" as a generic substitute for which, who, etc. I was hoping to get an answer here, rather than give one.
imawonderingwhy
 
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Reply Fri 20 Feb, 2015 11:19 am
@layman,
layman wrote: Actually, as I read it, if is was restrictive you would be required to use the word "that," rather than "which." So the very choice of the word "which" means that you have decided that what follows is non-restrictive.
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Your first sentence does not accurately describe English grammar or English usage, Layman. It is another of these falsehoods about language.

layman
 
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Reply Fri 20 Feb, 2015 08:24 pm
@imawonderingwhy,
Quote:
Your first sentence does not accurately describe English grammar or English usage, Layman. It is another of these falsehoods about language.


Could well be. I think it's clear from the context that I was not making a claim of "fact" but was merely trying to interpret the supposed "expert" source I had cited, to wit: http://web.ku.edu/~edit/which.html

There could be a million "expert" sites which say otherwise, for all I know. As I said:

Quote:
Another "fine point," that I never knew (or at least never paid any attention to). That's actually why this post was "clickbait" for me. I realize that I often use "that" as a generic substitute for which, who, etc. I was hoping to get an answer here, rather than give one.


Are you aware of a website which says this one is wrong. Or did I just misread the one I cited?
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