Help the detective complete her case notes by dragging the correct meaning to match each witness statement. Pay close attention to the commas!
Witness A stated: "The suspects who wore red hats fled the scene."
According to grammar rules, this means that only some of the suspects wore red hats and ran away.
Witness B stated: "The suspects, who wore red hats, fled the scene."
According to grammar rules, this means that all of the suspects wore red hats and ran away.
Witness A stated: "The suspects who wore red hats fled the scene."
This means that only some of the suspects wore red hats and ran away.
Without commas, the clause "who wore red hats" is restrictive (defining). It tells us exactly which specific suspects fled, implying there were other suspects present who did not wear red hats.
Witness B stated: "The suspects, who wore red hats, fled the scene."
This means that all of the suspects wore red hats and ran away.
With commas, the clause "who wore red hats" is non-restrictive (non-defining). It simply adds extra, descriptive information about the suspects, implying that all the suspects in question wore red hats and fled.