Nonrestrictive/Parenthetical Elements

These terms are just a fancy way of saying that you have added extra information to a sentence, which can be taken out of the sentence, yet the meaning is the same. Definition: A word group (a statement, question, or exclamation) that interrupts the flow of a sentence and is usually set off by commas, dashes, or parentheses. Commas usually give the least amount of separation and emphasis, dashes more so. Parentheses give greater separation but usually less emphasis." (Donna Gorrell, Style and Difference. Houghton Mifflin, 2005)

Examples: My mother, sitting by the window, is knitting a blanket for her granddaughter. She keeps reading her books -- what else is there to do -- because she doesnt have a television. I like to go to the movies (although I dont like the prices of tickets) that I often go twice a month to a matinee.

Source: http://grammar.about.com/od/il/g/interphraseterm.htm