Choose the sentence that correctly uses a restrictive relative clause without commas.

Choose the sentence that correctly uses a restrictive relative clause without commas.

• A. The books that are on the table are mine.
• B. The books on the table are mine.
• C. The books, that are on the table, are mine.
• D. The books that are on the table, are mine.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that a restrictive relative clause specifies exactly which noun we’re talking about and does not use commas. Here, "that are on the table" stops the reader from needing extra information to identify "the books," so it’s essential information and stays directly attached to the noun.

The sentence The books that are on the table are mine uses that-clauses to restrict which books are being referred to, with no commas. That makes it correct for a restrictive relative clause.

The other forms introduce issues: leaving out the relative pronoun creates a reduced form that can be acceptable in natural speech, but it isn’t the explicit restrictive relative clause the item is asking for. Using commas—The books, that are on the table, are mine or The books that are on the table, are mine—signals nonessential information, which changes the meaning and is not the restrictive construction.