TSA CBT Practice Test

How are restrictive phrases and clauses set apart in a sentence?

1. They are always separated by commas.

2. They are not separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.

3. They must appear at the beginning of a sentence.

4. They cannot follow independent clauses.

The correct answer is: They are not separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.

Restrictive phrases and clauses are essential to the meaning of a sentence because they provide information that is crucial for identifying the noun they modify. Since they are integral to the meaning, they are not set apart by commas. The absence of commas indicates that the information they provide cannot be omitted without altering the sentence's meaning. This is in contrast to non-restrictive phrases and clauses, which offer additional information but can be removed without changing the overall meaning; those are typically set off by commas. Other options suggest incorrect rules regarding the placement and punctuation of restrictive phrases and clauses. For example, it is not true that they must always appear at the beginning of a sentence, nor is it accurate to state that they cannot follow independent clauses. These characteristics do not apply to restrictive phrases and clauses.