• Non essential elements can be removed from a sentence without affecting its essential meaning or grammatical structure.

• Non essential clauses often began with W works such as witch and who. But they can also began with nouns or participles.

• Non-essential clauses are a type of dependent clause that provides additional information about a noun or pronoun in a sentence.

  • These clauses are also known as non-restrictive clauses because they do not limit or restrict the meaning of the sentence. Instead, they add extra details that are not necessary for the sentence to make sense.

• Non-essential clauses are separated from the rest of the sentence by commas, and they are often set apart by parentheses or dashes as well.

• For instance, consider the sentence: "The book, which was written by my favorite author, is on the shelf." Here, the non-essential clause "which was written by my favorite author" provides extra information about the book, but it is not essential to the meaning of the sentence.

  • We can remove the clause and still have a complete sentence: "The book is on the shelf." However, the non-essential clause adds a layer of detail that can enhance the reader's understanding of the book's significance to the speaker.

• On the other hand, essential clauses are a type of dependent clause that provides necessary information about a noun or pronoun in a sentence.

  • These clauses are also known as restrictive clauses because they limit or restrict the meaning of the sentence. Essential clauses are not separated from the rest of the sentence by commas, and they are necessary for the sentence to make sense.

• For instance, consider the sentence: "The book that I borrowed from the library is due tomorrow." Here, the essential clause "that I borrowed from the library" provides necessary information about the book. Without this clause, we would not know which book is due tomorrow.

• We cannot remove this clause without changing the meaning of the sentence.

• The essential clause is critical to the sentence's meaning and without it, the sentence would be incomplete.

• Understanding the difference between non-essential and essential clauses is crucial for the SAT Writing Exam.

  • It can affect the clarity and precision of your writing, and it can also help you avoid common errors such as comma splices and misplaced modifiers.

• Therefore, it is important to practice identifying and using these types of clauses correctly in your writing. By mastering the use of essential and non-essential clauses, you can elevate your writing and communicate your ideas more effectively.

Two Commas vs. Semicolon/Period

Many of the transition words and phrases that are used to begin clauses can also be used non-essentially within clauses. Some common exmaples include however, therefore, in fact, indeed, for example, and moreover.

When to use two commas:

Two commas are often used to set off a nonessential clause or phrase, which means that it can be removed from the sentence without changing its meaning. For example:

• John, who is my neighbor, likes to play basketball.

• The book, which I borrowed from the library, was very informative.

In these examples, the phrases "who is my neighbor" and "which I borrowed from the library" provide additional information but are not essential to the meaning of the sentence.

When to use a semicolon:

A semicolon is used to separate two independent clauses that are closely related in meaning. For example:

• I have a lot of work to do; I can't go to the movies tonight.

In this example, the two independent clauses are "I have a lot of work to do" and "I can't go to the movies tonight." They are closely related in meaning and can stand on their own as separate sentences, but are connected by the semicolon.

When to use a period:

A period is used to end a sentence that contains a complete thought. For example:

• I am going to the store.

In this example, the sentence contains a subject ("I") and a predicate ("am going to the store"), which together form a complete thought. The period indicates the end of the sentence.

To create a SAT question using these concepts, you could try something like:

Identify the correct punctuation for the following sentence:

The concert was amazing, I especially loved the guitar solos.

A) Two commas B) Semicolon C) Period D) No punctuation needed

Answer: B) Semicolon. The two clauses "The concert was amazing" and "I especially loved the guitar solos" are closely related in meaning and could stand on their own as separate sentences, but are connected by the semicolon.