Dear teachers,
The following sentences are taken from a reading passage:
The ideal product is one which goes on unchanged for ever. If, therefore, for one reason or another, some alteration seems called for---how much better to change the image, the packet or the pitch made by product, rather than go to all the inconvenience of changing the product itself.
I felt puzzled at the second sentence:
No.1. 'if.....' is a conditional clause. But where is the subjective clause?
No.2. What's the function of the participle phrase 'made by product'? If I write a clause it should be '...pitch that are made by product'. But it doesn't make sense. How can a product make the packet or pitch itself?
No.3. Last December I posted a question on 'rather than' and I received several answers. Could you please tell me if 'rather than' is a prepostion in this sentence? There is the verb 'seems' and 'go' after 'rather than'. So 'rather than' isn't conjunction. Am I right?
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you in advance.
Have a nice weekend!
Jiang