Commas Nonessential Clauses

I just finished reading Gary Soto’s story “The Jacket” which describes a painful time in his early life.

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We need a girl who can speak with a Southern accent to play the part.

• Essential - no commas needed

• Non-essential - add commas around the highlighted part

We lived on Oxford Drive which is close to the airport.

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Many Scottish names begin with the prefix “Mac” which means “the son of.”

• Essential - no commas needed

• Non-essential - add commas around the highlighted part

Grasshoppers which are one of our most destructive insect pests can leap nearly twenty times the length of their bodies.

• Essential - no commas needed

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The store pays the parking fee of any customer who makes a purchase of twenty dollars or more.

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Buffalo Bill whose real name was William F. Cody was a famous frontier scout.

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Evan’s new job which is far more challenging than his previous job pays well and provides good benefits.

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Ten points are given for any question that stumps the experts.

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The Titanic which was the largest vessel of its time generated an enormous amount of publicity about its maiden voyage.

• Essential - no commas needed

• Non-essential - add commas around the highlighted part