where ## is the telephone number to which the application is assigned

[fenglish]

Hi,

Below sentences is from a Windows document.

Enter the following command (where ## is the telephone number to which the application is assigned):

> print ##

I changed the above sentence to the A and B as following:

A. where ## is the telephone number which the application is assigned to.
B. where ## is the telephone number which the application is assigned.

When should we use "to which"? and what is the difference between A, B, and "to which"?

Thanks.

[fenglish]

[BobK]

Hi,

Below sentences is from a Windows document.

Enter the following command (where ## is the telephone number to which the application is assigned):

> print ##

I changed the above sentence to the A and B as following:

A. where ## is the telephone number which the application is assigned to.
B. where ## is the telephone number which the application is assigned.

When should we use "to which"? and what is the difference between A, B, and "to which"?

Thanks.

There is a weather-beaten and rickety prescription against prepositions at the end of sentences. Microsoft house style 'buys' this. I would use A, though many teachers wouldn't. 'I am awful, aren't I?' ( - Not sure where that quote came from.)

But B is acceptable too - though with a different meaning. 'When you arrive, you will be assigned a number' means the same as 'When you arrive, a number will be assigned to you'. In the first case, 'you' is an indirect object. 'Assign' can take an indirect object (which, in effect, means it implies a 'to').

However, B implies that the telephone number is assigned to the application - which is wrong.

b