Grammar Help

[rajan]

Dear all

In the below mentioned underlined sentence, would you please tell me the meaning of first line of defence and the meaning of what could end up . What type of clauses are these. What is the function of what here in - what could end up.

Thanks
Rajan

As the first line of defence against female foeticide, sex determination tests on pregnant women have been illegal in India for years. But in what could end up as a major policy shift, the Planning Commission is proposing relaxing the ban for rural areas as part of programme of "adopting" female foetuses and generously incentivising families and health workers to ensure the safe delivery of girl babies.

[5jj]

rajan, please give more helpful titles. This thread is more about the 'meaning of" first line of defence"?' or 'function of what?'

'What' can function as a combined noun and relative pronoun. In your sentence, it is both the object of the preposition 'in' and the subject of the clause "what could end up as a major policy shift".

[rajan]

would you please tell me the meaning of first line of defence.

Still could not understand the meaning of "what could end up"

Thanks

'What' can function as a combined noun and relative pronoun. In your sentence, it is both the object of the preposition 'in' and the subject of the clause "what could end up as a major policy shift".

[5jj]

As an initial preventative measure against female foeticide, sex ..... . But, in doing something that could result in a major shift, ...

[rajan]

Thanks Sir

rajan, please give more helpful titles. This thread is more about the 'meaning of" first line of defence"?' or 'function of what?'

'What' can function as a combined noun and relative pronoun. In your sentence, it is both the object of the preposition 'in' and the subject of the clause "what could end up as a major policy shift".

[5jj]

You are welcome.

I have suggested before, more than once, that you do not [QUOTE] posts unless your need the quote in your post. Excessive quoting leads to unnecessary scrolling down.

[rajan]

i thought you were particularly talking about lengthy posts. Anyway whatever your suggestions are will be respectully implemented.

[QUOTE=fivejedjon;808922]You are welcome.

I have suggested before, more than once, that you do not

posts unless your need the quote in your post. Excessive quoting leads to unnecessary scrolling down.

[5jj]

And I was assuming common sense.

[rajan]

And I was assuming common sense.

[TheParser]

[QUOTE=rajan;808859]

What type of clauses are these.


NOT A TEACHER


(1) As usual, you have asked an excellent question.

(2) As usual, Teacher Fivejedjon has given us an excellent answer.

(3) May I just add some comments that may interest you?

(4) As the first line against this practice, these tests have been illegal for years.

(a) I do not believe that the words in bold qualify as a "clause."

(b) As you know, a clause must contain a verb. There is no verb there.

(c) I believe that grammar books prefer to call those words an appositive.

(d) An appositive, as you know, is a word or some words that rename a person or

thing: Mr. Fivejedjon, the teacher, taught English in China. (We call "the teacher" an

appositive because it renames Mr. Fivejedjon.)

(e) Sometimes an appositive is more complicated. Here is one from Professor

Curme's book:

As a first step, I secured my vast property.

The main idea is that "I secured my vast property." We then say that "As a first step"

is in apposition with "I secured my vast property" because "first step" renames

"securing my property." For example, you could use two sentences: I took the first

step. That first step was to secure my property. (But it is more elegant to write it as

an appositive, don't you think?)

(f) If we wanted to, we could write two sentences: There is a first line of defense. This

first line of defense is the fact that these tests have been illegal for years. (But the

sentence with the appositive is more elegant, don't you think?)