non-identifying clause

[sejpdw]

Just before the music ended, she went into a difficult triple toe loop. As she completed it, she heard the audience gasp. When her turn was over, applause filled the stadium, and she stood there, for a moment, in the center of the ice in the spotlight. As she skated off the ice, she waved to the crowd and quickly made her way to the exit where her coach ran up to her and hugged. "You did it, Laurie!" she said. "You skated perfectly. You didn't make a single mistake!" Laurie didn't say anything, but she smiled as she took a seat and waited to see what marks the judges would give her. When the marks appeared, Laurie knew that she had beaten Jinny Jordan and everyone else.

Q: In 'the exit where...' of the above passage, I think comma must preced 'where' because 'where' clause seems to be used as a non-identifying clause (adding clause), not as an identifying clause.
What's your opinion?

[Marius Hancu]

I think you're right:

quickly made her way to the exit where her coach ran was: quickly made her way to the specific exit where her coach ran was [No comma

quickly made her way to the exit, where her coach ran up to her and hugged [Comma

[Bridget]

As she skated off the ice, she waved to the crowd and quickly made her way to the exit where her coach ran up to her and hugged.


Yes, use the comma. It's like saying As she skated off the ice, she waved to the crowd and quickly made her way to the exit, whereupon her coach ran up to her and hugged.

As she skated off the ice, she waved to the crowd and quickly made her way to the exit, and when she arrived there, her coach ran up to her and hugged.