RESTRICTING PHRASES
A Restricting phrase restricts or limits the person or thing spoken about to being one particular person or thing.
A Restricting phrase is as essential to the meaning as a rock is to an oyster. The oyster is never the same again if you separate it from its rock.
The sense of the subject is spoiled if you separate subject from restricting phrase.
This comes into focus if you look into the sentence: “The tiger with the circus clown in his mouth must be shot immediately.”
There are six tigers in the cage. Which one must be shot?
The restricting phrase (with the circus clown in his mouth) makes it very clear what must be done by the man with the rifle.
With restricting phrases DO NOT PAUSE between subject and phrase. It is essential to the sense of the subject.
There is no place for commas in restricting phrases. “The doctor with the knife in his hand will operate.” Which doctor?
Not the doctors in the gallery or those standing in the corner but “the doctor with the knife in his hand” is the one. There is no pause. You are quick to explain the situation.<\/p>\n
RESTRICTING PHRASES
THE RESTRICTING PHRASE RESTRICTS THE SUBJECT TO BEING ONE PARTICULAR PERSON OR THING.
A. God listens to men who are devout and do His will.
What kind of men?
Men who are devout and do His will.
“Who are devout and do His will” restricts “men” to be of a particular kind.
B. If there is one of you who has not sinned let him be the first to cast a stone.
Which one of you?
The one of you who has not sinned.
“Who has not sinned” restricts “one” to being a particular “one”.
C. The man who enters by the gate is the Shepherd of the Sheep.
Which man?
The man who enters by the gate.
“Who enters by the gate” restricts “the man” to being a particular man.
THE RESTRICTING PHRASE IS SO ESSENTIAL TO THE SENSE OF ITS SUBJECT, YOU CAN’T SEPARATE THEM!
SO – DON’T PAUSE BEFORE A RESTRICTING PHRASE.
A. The man in the moon is a myth.
B. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs.
C. It was works of this kind done on the Sabbath that stirred up the Jews to persecute Jesus.
D. Many a man who keeps out of trouble gets credit for a cool head when it’s really cold feet.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"RESTRICTING PHRASESA Restricting phrase restricts or limits the person or thing spoken about to being one particular person or thing.A Restricting phrase is as essential to the meaning as a rock is to an oyster. The oyster is never the same again if you separate it from its rock.The sense of the subject is spoiled […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":5,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-127","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\r\n
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