"My father who is a policeman is retiring now" vs "my father, who is a policeman is retiring now."

Question

"My father who is a policeman is retiring now" vs "my father, who is a policeman is retiring now."

Both phrases are correct, but they have different meanings depending on the use of the comma. The first phrase with the comma suggests that the speaker has only one father, and the fact that he is a policeman is additional information. The second phrase without the comma implies that the speaker has multiple fathers, and the fact that one of them is a policeman is the defining characteristic.

Last Updated: March 30, 2024

This phrase is used when the speaker has multiple fathers, and the fact that one of them is a policeman is the defining characteristic.

Examples:

I have three brothers who are engineers.
She is the only student who passed the exam.

Alternatives:

My father who is a policeman is retiring now.
My father, who is the policeman, is retiring now.

This phrase is used when the speaker has only one father, and the fact that he is a policeman is additional information.

Examples:

My friend, who is a doctor, is coming to visit us.
The cat, which is black, is sleeping on the couch.

Alternatives:

My father, who is a policeman, is retiring now.
My father, who happens to be a policeman, is retiring now.

Answer 1

My father who is a policeman is retiring now

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English. The lack of a comma before 'who' indicates that the relative clause is defining, specifying which father is retiring.

Answer 2

my father, who is a policeman is retiring now.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English. The comma before 'who' sets off the non-defining relative clause, providing additional information about the father.

"My father who is a policeman is retiring now" vs "my father, who is a policeman is retiring now."

My father who is a policeman is retiring now

my father, who is a policeman is retiring now.

Related Comparisons