University Writing Center—Texas Tech University
11 Missing comma with a nonrestrictive element

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The reader does not need the clause who was the president of the club to know the basic meaning of the sentence: Marina was first to speak.

A nonrestrictive element — one that is not essential to the basic meaning of the sentence — could be removed, and the sentence would still make sense. Use commas to set off any nonrestrictive parts of a sentence. (See 46c.)