Restrictive Meaning, Commas, and Reference

What you’ll learn

Use punctuation and clause choice to control who is included.

ប្រើក្បៀស និង relative clause ដើម្បីកំណត់អ្នកយោង។

Meaning and use

A defining clause selects a subset; a non-defining clause adds information about an already identified referent. Commas can therefore change the claim. Compare my colleagues who work remotely with my colleagues, who work remotely. Do not add or remove commas merely to mark a breathing pause.

ក្បៀសជុំវិញ relative clause អាចប្ដូរន័យពីការជ្រើសរើសក្រុមរង ទៅព័ត៌មានបន្ថែមអំពីក្រុមទាំងមូល។ កុំប្រើក្បៀសគ្រាន់តែតាមការឈប់ដកដង្ហើម។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Subset	The students who arrived early got seats.
Additional information	The students, who arrived early, got seats.

Examples

1. My colleagues who work remotely joined online.

   មិត្តរួមការងារខ្ញុំដែលធ្វើការពីចម្ងាយបានចូលរួមតាមអ៊ីនធឺណិត។

2. My colleagues, who work remotely, joined online.

   មិត្តរួមការងារខ្ញុំ ដែលសុទ្ធតែធ្វើការពីចម្ងាយ បានចូលរួមតាមអ៊ីនធឺណិត។

3. The files that contain personal data are encrypted.

   ឯកសារដែលមានទិន្នន័យផ្ទាល់ខ្លួនត្រូវបានអ៊ិនគ្រីប។

4. The final report, which is confidential, is encrypted.

   របាយការណ៍ចុងក្រោយ ដែលជាឯកសារសម្ងាត់ ត្រូវបានអ៊ិនគ្រីប។

Everyday conversation

Dara: Does The students who revised passed say that every student revised?

Maly: No. It identifies the students who revised; a non-defining version would make a different claim.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
Maly, that leads the team, agreed.	Maly, who leads the team, agreed.	Use who, not that, in this supplementary clause.
My brother who lives in Kampot, called. (intended: defining clause)	My brother who lives in Kampot called.	Do not put a lone comma between the complete subject and its verb.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Explain The employees who attended received notes.
2. Explain The employees, who attended, received notes.
3. Correct: The report, that I sent yesterday, is final.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. The statement concerns the employees who attended, a selected group.

   The defining clause restricts the referent.

2. The employees being discussed attended, and they received notes.

   The non-defining clause adds information about that identified group.

3. The report, which I sent yesterday, is final.

   A non-defining clause uses which and keeps both commas.

Quick recap

• Subset: The students who arrived early got seats.
• Additional information: The students, who arrived early, got seats.