Non-Restrictive Participle Appositives in Technical English
5 exercises — practise comma placement around non-restrictive participle phrases.
0 / 20 completed
1 / 20
Which sentence correctly uses a non-restrictive participle appositive to add extra, non-essential information about a single named service?
"The billing service, running on three replicas, handles all invoice generation" is correct: because there is only one billing service, the participle phrase is non-essential extra detail and must be set off by commas on both sides. Option B omits both commas, which incorrectly presents the participle phrase as restrictive (as if there were multiple billing services and this one is identified by its replica count). Option C omits the closing comma, leaving the phrase improperly attached to the main clause. Option D omits the opening comma while keeping the closing one, creating an unbalanced and incorrect boundary.
2 / 20
Which sentence correctly uses a non-restrictive past participle appositive to describe a uniquely identified configuration file?
"The config file, located in /etc/app, was updated during last night's deploy" is correct: since "the config file" already refers to one specific file, the participle phrase adds non-essential detail and needs commas on both sides. Option A has a comma only after the phrase, not before it. Option B has a comma only before the phrase, not after it. Option C omits both commas entirely, incorrectly treating the location as if it were necessary to identify which config file is meant.
3 / 20
Which sentence correctly distinguishes a restrictive participle phrase (no commas) from a non-restrictive one (with commas)?
"Engineers working on the payments team must complete security training; the CTO, speaking at the all-hands, confirmed the deadline" is correct: "working on the payments team" is restrictive (it identifies which engineers, out of many, are meant) and takes no commas, while "speaking at the all-hands" is non-restrictive (there is only one CTO) and requires commas on both sides. Option A wrongly adds commas around the restrictive phrase, implying incorrectly that all engineers must complete training. Option C removes the necessary commas around the non-restrictive CTO phrase and adds an incorrect one after "team". Option D scrambles the comma placement in both halves of the sentence.
4 / 20
Which sentence correctly uses a non-restrictive participle appositive after a proper noun, which by definition is already uniquely identified?
"Kubernetes, originally developed by Google, is now maintained by the CNCF" is correct: proper nouns like "Kubernetes" are inherently unique, so any participle phrase describing them is automatically non-restrictive and must be enclosed in commas. Option A omits both commas, incorrectly implying the phrase is needed to identify which Kubernetes is meant. Option C has an opening comma but no closing one. Option D has a closing comma but no opening one, both producing unbalanced punctuation around the appositive.
5 / 20
Which sentence correctly places commas around a non-restrictive participle appositive describing a single, already-identified pull request?
"PR #482, merged early this morning, introduced a subtle race condition" is correct: "PR #482" is a specific, unique identifier, so the participle phrase describing when it was merged is non-essential and needs commas on both sides. Option B has only a closing comma, leaving the phrase improperly attached at the start. Option C has only an opening comma, leaving it improperly attached at the end. Option D omits both commas, which would be correct only if the phrase were needed to distinguish this PR from other PRs sharing the same number, which is not the case here.
6 / 20
Reviewer: 'The paymentGatewayService, which handles all external transactions, needs a thorough security audit.' This sentence uses a non-restrictive participle appositive correctly. Which option best describes why the commas are necessary here?
Non-restrictive participle appositives add extra information without being essential to identifying the noun they modify. The phrase 'which handles all external transactions' doesn't define the paymentGatewayService itself; it provides additional detail. Commas are used to set off this non-essential clause, indicating that we're discussing one specific service among many possibilities.
7 / 20
Sarah (Lead Dev): 'The userProfileAPI, built with Node.js and GraphQL, is experiencing high latency.' Sarah is describing a specific API. Which of the following sentences demonstrates the correct use of a non-restrictive participle appositive in this context?
Non-restrictive appositives require commas to set off the descriptive clause. The phrase 'which uses Node.js and GraphQL' provides additional detail about the userProfileAPI but isn't necessary for its identification. Without the commas, it would be a restrictive phrase, indicating that *only* this API utilizes those technologies.
8 / 20
David (Junior Dev): 'The legacyDatabaseConnection, previously used for reporting, has been deprecated.' David is explaining a change. Choose the best revision of this sentence to correctly incorporate a non-restrictive participle appositive.
Remember that non-restrictive appositives always require commas. The phrase 'previously used for reporting' provides supplementary information about the legacyDatabaseConnection but doesn't define or limit its identity. The lack of commas signals that this is additional detail and not a core part of the noun's description.
9 / 20
Maria (Tech Lead): 'The v1.2.3 deployment script, which automatically updates all services, needs a rollback plan.' Maria is documenting a deployment process. Which of these sentences correctly employs a non-restrictive participle appositive?
Non-restrictive appositives demand commas to separate the defining noun from the added descriptive clause. The phrase 'which automatically updates all services' provides extra information about the v1.2.3 deployment script without limiting its identification. The commas are crucial for distinguishing it as non-essential.
10 / 20
Ben (QA): 'The bugReport-20231027-critical, filed by the user, is being prioritized.' Ben is describing a bug report. Which option demonstrates correct use of a non-restrictive participle appositive?
Again, commas are essential for non-restrictive appositives. The phrase 'filed by the user' adds information about the origin of the bug report but doesn't define or limit its identification as bugReport-20231027-critical. The commas correctly set off this extra detail.
11 / 20
Reviewer: 'The paymentGatewayService, which handles all external transactions, needs a thorough security audit.' This sentence uses a non-restrictive participle appositive correctly. Which option best describes why the commas are necessary here?
Non-restrictive participle appositives add extra information without being essential to identifying the noun they modify. The phrase 'which handles all external transactions' doesn't define the paymentGatewayService itself; it provides additional detail. Commas are used to set off this non-essential clause, indicating that we're discussing one specific service among many possibilities.
12 / 20
Sarah (Lead Dev): 'The userProfileAPI, built with Node.js and GraphQL, is experiencing high latency.' Sarah is describing a specific API. Which of the following sentences demonstrates the correct use of a non-restrictive participle appositive in this context?
Non-restrictive appositives require commas to set off the descriptive clause. The phrase 'which uses Node.js and GraphQL' provides additional detail about the userProfileAPI but isn't necessary for its identification. Without the commas, it would be a restrictive phrase, indicating that *only* this API utilizes those technologies.
13 / 20
David (Junior Dev): 'The legacyDatabaseConnection, previously used for reporting, has been deprecated.' David is explaining a change. Choose the best revision of this sentence to correctly incorporate a non-restrictive participle appositive.
Remember that non-restrictive appositives always require commas. The phrase 'previously used for reporting' provides supplementary information about the legacyDatabaseConnection but doesn't define or limit its identity. The lack of commas signals that this is additional detail and not a core part of the noun's description.
14 / 20
Maria (Tech Lead): 'The v1.2.3 deployment script, which automatically updates all services, needs a rollback plan.' Maria is documenting a deployment process. Which of these sentences correctly employs a non-restrictive participle appositive?
Non-restrictive appositives demand commas to separate the defining noun from the added descriptive clause. The phrase 'which automatically updates all services' provides extra information about the v1.2.3 deployment script without limiting its identification. The commas are crucial for distinguishing it as non-essential.
15 / 20
Ben (QA): 'The bugReport-20231027-critical, filed by the user, is being prioritized.' Ben is describing a bug report. Which option demonstrates correct use of a non-restrictive participle appositive?
Again, commas are essential for non-restrictive appositives. The phrase 'filed by the user' adds information about the origin of the bug report but doesn't define or limit its identification as bugReport-20231027-critical. The commas correctly set off this extra detail.
16 / 20
Reviewer: 'The paymentGatewayService, which handles all external transactions, needs a thorough security audit.' This sentence uses a non-restrictive participle appositive correctly. Which option best describes why the commas are necessary here?
Non-restrictive participle appositives add extra information without being essential to identifying the noun they modify. The phrase 'which handles all external transactions' doesn't define the paymentGatewayService itself; it provides additional detail. Commas are used to set off this non-essential clause, indicating that we're discussing one specific service among many possibilities.
17 / 20
Sarah (Lead Dev): 'The userProfileAPI, built with Node.js and GraphQL, is experiencing high latency.' Sarah is describing a specific API. Which of the following sentences demonstrates the correct use of a non-restrictive participle appositive in this context?
Non-restrictive appositives require commas to set off the descriptive clause. The phrase 'which uses Node.js and GraphQL' provides additional detail about the userProfileAPI but isn't necessary for its identification. Without the commas, it would be a restrictive phrase, indicating that *only* this API utilizes those technologies.
18 / 20
David (Junior Dev): 'The legacyDatabaseConnection, previously used for reporting, has been deprecated.' David is explaining a change. Choose the best revision of this sentence to correctly incorporate a non-restrictive participle appositive.
Remember that non-restrictive appositives always require commas. The phrase 'previously used for reporting' provides supplementary information about the legacyDatabaseConnection but doesn't define or limit its identity. The lack of commas signals that this is additional detail and not a core part of the noun's description.
19 / 20
Maria (Tech Lead): 'The v1.2.3 deployment script, which automatically updates all services, needs a rollback plan.' Maria is documenting a deployment process. Which of these sentences correctly employs a non-restrictive participle appositive?
Non-restrictive appositives demand commas to separate the defining noun from the added descriptive clause. The phrase 'which automatically updates all services' provides extra information about the v1.2.3 deployment script without limiting its identification. The commas are crucial for distinguishing it as non-essential.
20 / 20
Ben (QA): 'The bugReport-20231027-critical, filed by the user, is being prioritized.' Ben is describing a bug report. Which option demonstrates correct use of a non-restrictive participle appositive?
Again, commas are essential for non-restrictive appositives. The phrase 'filed by the user' adds information about the origin of the bug report but doesn't define or limit its identification as bugReport-20231027-critical. The commas correctly set off this extra detail.
What will I practise in "Non-Restrictive Participle Appositives — IT Grammar Exercise"?
Practise punctuating non-restrictive -ing and -ed participle phrases that add extra, non-essential detail after uniquely identified nouns like named services
How many exercises are in this module?
This module has 20 multiple-choice exercises, each with instant feedback and a full explanation of the correct answer.
Is this exercise free to use?
Yes. Every exercise on CoderSlingo, including this one, is free to use with no account, sign-up, or paywall.
Do I need to create an account to do these exercises?
No account is required. Just click an option to answer — your score for this session is tracked automatically in the progress bar above.
What happens if I choose the wrong answer?
You'll immediately see which answer was correct, plus a full explanation covering the grammar rule and reasoning behind it — mistakes are where most of the learning happens.
Can I retry the exercises if I want a higher score?
Yes — use the "Try again" button on the results screen to reset and go through all the questions again.
Is my progress saved if I close the page?
No. Progress is tracked only for your current visit; reloading or leaving the page resets the counter. This keeps the exercise simple and account-free.
Where can I find more Grammar exercises?
Browse the full Grammar hub for related drills, or check the "Next up" link below to continue with a connected topic.
How is this different from reading an article on the same topic?
Articles explain grammar rules in prose; this exercise tests and reinforces those rules through active recall with immediate feedback — the two work best together.
Who writes these exercises?
Every exercise is written by the CoderSlingo team, drawing on real workplace English used in IT roles, then reviewed for accuracy and clarity.