clause beginning "and which"

[Richard Togher]

FOWLER'S MODERN ENGLISH USAGE 3RD ED states that a clause beginning "and which" must have the same grammatical value as the first "which" clause.

i don't know what this mean, but Fow gave this example of a MISmatched "and which" clause:

"His writing has a childlike quality WHICH is appropirate, given that...AND WHICH i find endearing" (This is an approximate rendering, because i don't have the book with me)

Can some kind forum member explain what is wrong with the above sentence

Thank you

[5jj]

If you want our comments on what people have written, then you need to quote what they have written, not your vague memory of what they might have written.

[bhaisahab]

FOWLER'S MODERN ENGLISH USAGE 3RD ED states that a clause beginning "and which" must have the same grammatical value as the first "which" clause.

i don't know what this mean, but Fow gave this example of a mismatched "and which" clause:

"His writing has a childlike quality WHICH is appropriate, given that...AND WHICH i find endearing" (This is an approximate rendering, because i don't have the book with me)

Can some kind forum member explain what is wrong with the above sentence

Thank you

Please remember to punctuate your sentences and capitalise "I".

[TheParser]

[QUOTE=Richard Togher;853276]


I do not have to warn you about my not being a teacher because, of course, I shall

not even try to answer such a difficult question.

I shall list the facts so that someone else can answer your question.

(1) On page 845 of the third edition of Fowler, there is your sentence:

In contrast Peake's use of elevated language has a childlike quality which is

appropriate given that the protagonist , Titus, is a boy, and which I found endearing.

(2) This sentence is labled "misfitted."

(3) The third edition quotes Fowler:

And which ...should not be used unless the coming which-clause has been preceded

by a clause or expression of the same grammatical value as itself.

*****

OK, I have stated the facts. Now wait for a teacher's answer. Good luck!

[Richard Togher]

Page 845 of the third edition of Fowler's Modern English Usage says:

'And which ...should not be used unless the coming which-clause has been preceded by a clause or expression of the same grammatical value as itself.'

Fowler than gives the following as an example of a MISmatched and which clause

"In contrast Peake's use of elevated language has a childlike quality which is appropriate given that the protagonist , Titus, is a boy, and which I found endearing."

I do not know what is wrong with this claue, that is, i don't know what is meant by same grammatical value

Can any forum members please enlighten me

PS Thanks, PARSER, for providing the exact quote

[5jj]

"In contrast Peake's use of elevated language has a childlike quality which (grammatical subject) is appropriate given that the protagonist , Titus, is a boy, and which (grammatical object) I found endearing."

The 'grammatical values' are in blue.

[JarekSteliga]

FOWLER'S MODERN ENGLISH USAGE 3RD ED states that a clause beginning "and which" must have the same grammatical value as the first "which" clause.

i don't know what this mean, but Fow gave this example of a MISmatched "and which" clause:




Should it not be "I don't know what this means"? When I spotted "mean" without "s" I thought it was a typo, but seeing other typos corrected I began to wonder.

[5jj]

i don't know what this mean, but Fow gave this example of a MISmatched "and which" clause:

Should it not be "I don't know what this means"?

Yes

[JarekSteliga]

Yes

Thank you

[Richard Togher]

Thank you, forum members, for your insights.

If I were to attempt to rephrase the mismatched sentence, using matching grammatical values, would the following be correct?

'In contrast Peake's use of elevated language has a childlike quality which is appropriate given that the protagonist, Titus, is a boy, AND WHICH IS, at least in my view, ENDEARING"

In addition, would the sentence be easier to read if the words 'In contrast' were followed by a comma?

My I ask our moderator if it is usual practice to give a reply of 'thanks' to forum posts. I usually give thanks beforehand, because I personally find receiving emails of 'thanks', even from people that I know, irritating, but this may just be me

Thank you!