"My father,who is a policeman, is retiring this year." vs "My father who is a policeman is retiring this year."

Question

"My father,who is a policeman, is retiring this year." vs "My father who is a policeman is retiring this year."

Both phrases are correct, but they have different punctuation styles. The first phrase uses restrictive commas, while the second phrase uses non-restrictive commas. The choice between them depends on whether the information about the father being a policeman is essential to the meaning of the sentence.

Last Updated: March 19, 2024

This phrase is used when the information introduced by 'who is a policeman' is not essential to identify which father is being referred to. The non-restrictive commas indicate that the clause is providing extra, non-essential information.

Examples:

My father, who is a doctor, is retiring this year.
The house, which is painted blue, is for sale.
The dog, with the wagging tail, is friendly.

Alternatives:

my father, who is a policeman, is retiring this year.
my father, a policeman, is retiring this year.

This phrase is used when the information introduced by 'who is a policeman' is necessary to identify which father is being referred to. The restrictive commas indicate that the clause is essential to the meaning of the sentence.

Examples:

The man who is wearing a hat is my father.
The student who scored the highest marks is my sister.
The car that is parked in the driveway is mine.

Alternatives:

my father, who works as a policeman, is retiring this year.
my father, a policeman, is retiring this year.

Answer 1

My father,who is a policeman, is retiring this year.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English. It uses non-restrictive commas to provide additional information about the father being a policeman.

Answer 2

My father who is a policeman is retiring this year.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English. It uses restrictive commas to indicate that the information about the father being a policeman is essential to the meaning of the sentence.

"My father,who is a policeman, is retiring this year." vs "My father who is a policeman is retiring this year."

My father,who is a policeman, is retiring this year.

My father who is a policeman is retiring this year.

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