Business English Part 62

D. The _explanatory relative clause_.

Similar to the appositive is the explanatory relative clause. Like an appositive, it is inserted into the sentence for the purpose of explanation and is separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.

Because of this similarity, it is sometimes called an appositive relative clause.

Great care must be taken in punctuation to distinguish a clause that may be omitted from the sentence without destroying the meaning from one that may not be omitted. The appositive clause may be omitted. A restrictive clause, because it restricts the meaning of the word it modifies, may not be omitted. Because it is needed for the sake of clearness, it is not separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.

To distinguish an appositive clause from a restrictive clause, the former is called a non-restrictive clause.

Notice the difference between the following:

1. The Commonwealth Edison Company, _which controls the electric light and power supply of Chicago_, was organized in 1907 by the consolidation of the Chicago Edison Company and the Commonwealth Electric Company.

The sentence makes complete sense without the relative clause.

2. The concern _that controls the electric light and power supply of Chicago_ is the Commonwealth Edison Company.

The relative clause must be used to understand the sentence.

In (1) the relative clause gives an additional idea. In (2) it limits or restricts the meaning of _the concern_. The non-restrictive clause is shown in (1), the restrictive clause in (2).

Dictation to ill.u.s.trate non-restrictive clauses:

It is estimated that Chicago annually uses 93,450,000 gallons of milk, for which it pays over $28,000,000.

To supply this amount 120,000 cows are needed, which are owned by 12,000 dairy farms. Health officers conduct a systematic dairy farm inspection, which has for its purpose the exclusion of diseased milk. Farm owners, who formerly objected to the inspection, now see that cleanliness is profitable. Authorities have discovered that milk, which easily absorbs germs, is dangerous except when produced under sanitary conditions, and now dairies are allowed to sell only clean, pure milk, which is milk given by a healthy cow.

Phrases as well as clauses may be restrictive. In the following sentences decide whether the italicized expressions are restrictive or non-restrictive. State whether they are phrases or clauses. Do any of the sentences need commas?

1. The man _wearing the brown coat_ is my brother.

2. My brother bought a new coat _which is brown_.

3. The lesson _that I take at nine o'clock_ is English.

4. In English _which I take at nine o'clock_ we are studying punctuation.

5. I am going to work in every city _that I visit_.

6. I am going to work in any city _where I can find employment_.

7. I am going to work in Denver _where my uncle lives_.

8. The house _on the hill_ is the oldest in town.

9. The house _that is the oldest in town_ is used as a museum.

10. The Franklin Museum _which occupies the oldest house in town_ is a very interesting place.

11. The town museum is the place _that I like to visit_.

12. The chimney _that was blown down last night in the storm_ should have been mended long ago.

13. The old ruined tower _which has long been a picturesque sight in the village_ was blown down last night.

14. We counted ten chimneys _that were blown down last night_.

15. The stenography system _that I studied_ is Munson's.

16. I think she uses Munson's _which she considers a good system of stenography_.

17. Last year I pursued a course in stenography _which I enjoyed very much_.

18. The book _that we use in cla.s.s_ has a brown cover.

19. The only milk _that is fit to drink_ comes from a clean dairy.

20. Systematic inspection has been carried on _which has resulted in securing better milk_.

=Rule 9.--A non-restrictive clause should be separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.=

=Exercise 186=

Punctuate the following:

1. We have an enormous crop of cotton the value of which is estimated at one billion dollars.

2. "The root of the mail order evil is the idea which the retail mail order houses have been able somehow to instill into the minds of the buying public that the local merchants ask too much for their goods."

3. Mr. Hilton who was sales manager at that time induced the company to adopt this system.

4. The lecture will be delivered by Mr. Brenton who is the head of the advertising department of Whitlock & Co.

5. Our dog whose fur was wet by his plunge into the lake came running toward us.

6. Genevieve who had always been the leader in the games was not present.

7. A late product of the brain of George Westinghouse who was the inventor of the air brake and numerous electrical devices is an air spring for automobiles.

This little article has been patented by Mr.

Westinghouse who has the sole owners.h.i.+p. The spring which has already proved popular with automobile owners fits over the end of the regular spring and "makes good roads out of bad ones."

8. Careful selection of investments upon which the safety of your money depends is often difficult.

Careful watching of investments which is fully as essential is much harder. Let us tell you about our Investment Service which does this watching for you and keeps you fully protected.

9. As a direct result of the conference between the railroad and steams.h.i.+p interests of the South-Atlantic and Gulf cotton ports which was held recently at Hot Springs Va. an organization which will be known as the South Atlantic and Steams.h.i.+p Cotton Inspection Bureau has been created. The bureau will have a chief inspector who will supervise the conduct of its business at all ports and will arrange for the employment of the inspectors. According to the rules and regulations copies of which have been received by the cotton agencies and the export departments of the various New Orleans firms any bale that shows external damage from water mud bad bagging or other causes must be condemned and its condition noted and reported.

10. How would you like to wear a hat that has been handed down through six generations in each of which it was a treasured possession? The Italian peasants who love finery are proud to do that very thing. Very few of the poorer people who live in Italy own a hat.

When you see a beautifully woven Leghorn hat which is also very dirty on the head of a little peasant child you may be pretty sure that she is celebrating her birthday by wearing the family heirloom. These hats which are sometimes willed to a favorite relative and which in some instances go the round of the family are considered almost priceless. It is a frequent sight along the dusty roads outside the little towns to see untidy old women who are sauntering along twisting twine as they go all vanity under the flopping brim of an antiquated hat. This is almost the only souvenir that tourists' money cannot buy.--_The Chicago Tribune._

=Exercise 187--Explanatory Expressions=