Forum newsfeeds 
|  | | Notices | You are welcome to answer questions posted in the Ask a Teacher forum as long as your suggestions, help, and advice reflect a good understanding of the English language. If you are not a teacher, you will need to state that clearly at the top of your post. Please note, all posts are moderated by our in-house language experts, so make sure your suggestions, help, and advice house the kind of information an international language teacher would offer. If not, and your posts do not contribute to the topic in a positive way, they will be subject to deletion. | 
18-Apr-2004, 06:11
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Mar 2004 Country: Japan
Posts: 686
Current Location: Osaka First Language: Japanese Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
| |  Which does this refer to?
The sentence:
One part of American culture which has not changed since the postwar economic boom of the 1950s is consumerism
About the relative pronoun above, which does it refer to; "one part" or "American culture"?
Taka |
18-Apr-2004, 11:17
|  | VIP Member | | Join Date: Sep 2003 Country: Canada
Posts: 12,997
Current Location: China First Language: English Thanks: 0
Thanked 16 Times in 16 Posts
| | Re: Which does this refer to?
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Taka The sentence:
One part of American culture which has not changed since the postwar economic boom of the 1950s is consumerism
About the relative pronoun above, which does it refer to; "one part" or "American culture"?
Taka |
Structurally, 'which' refers to "One part of American culture". Semantically, 'which' refers to "consumerism", which is one part of American culture.
:D |
18-Apr-2004, 11:40
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Mar 2004 Country: Japan
Posts: 686
Current Location: Osaka First Language: Japanese Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
| | Re: Which does this refer to?
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Casiopea Structurally, 'which' refers to "One part of American culture". | I would also come up with the same answer with yours, Casiopea. But if you were suppsed to analize the structure more in detail, which noun would you think "which" refers to; "one part" or "American culture"?
Take another sentence for instance. In "People in Japan who work very hard...", "who" is used to describe "people in Japan". To be more presice, however, "people" is described by "who work very hard", and it is also descibed "in Japan".
If you were supposed to apply the same way of analysis, what would be your answer for "One part of American culture which has not changed..."? |
18-Apr-2004, 15:12
|  | VIP Member | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: USA
Posts: 6,095
Current Location: New York First Language: American English Thanks: 0
Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts
| | Re: Which does this refer to?
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Taka Quote: |
Originally Posted by Casiopea Structurally, 'which' refers to "One part of American culture". | I would also come up with the same answer with yours, Casiopea. But if you were suppsed to analize the structure more in detail, which noun would you think "which" refers to; "one part" or "American culture"?
Take another sentence for instance. In "People in Japan who work very hard...", "who" is used to describe "people in Japan". To be more presice, however, "people" is described by "who work very hard", and it is also descibed "in Japan".
If you were supposed to apply the same way of analysis, what would be your answer for "One part of American culture which has not changed..."? | I agree with Cas's answer also. The complete subject is "one part of American culture". However, the simple subject is "part". If one had to choose an antecedent for 'which", one would have to chosse "part". The "culture" as a whole has changed; it is this "part" that hasn't changed.
One further point. The sentence is correct in British English. In American English, we normally use "that" in a restrictive relative clause that is not set off from the sentence in commas. We usually reserve "which" for a non-restrictive relative clause, which is set off from the sentence with a comma or commas.  |
18-Apr-2004, 15:28
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Mar 2004 Country: Japan
Posts: 686
Current Location: Osaka First Language: Japanese Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
| | Re: Which does this refer to?
Quote: |
Originally Posted by MikeNewYork I agree with Cas's answer also. The complete subject is "one part of American culture". However, the simple subject is "part". If one had to choose an antecedent for 'which", one would have to chosse "part". The "culture" as a whole has changed; it is this "part" that hasn't changed. | I see. Thanks, Mike! Quote: |
Originally Posted by MikeNewYork One further point. The sentence is correct in British English. In American English, we normally use "that" in a restrictive relative clause that is not set off from the sentence in commas. We usually reserve "which" for a non-restrictive relative clause, which is set off from the sentence with a comma or commas. | Hmm...interesting! I didn't know that.
Thank you for the additonal information, Mike!! |
18-Apr-2004, 15:58
| | VIP Member | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: USA
Posts: 6,095
Current Location: New York First Language: American English Thanks: 0
Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts
| | Re: Which does this refer to?
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Taka Quote: |
Originally Posted by MikeNewYork I agree with Cas's answer also. The complete subject is "one part of American culture". However, the simple subject is "part". If one had to choose an antecedent for 'which", one would have to chosse "part". The "culture" as a whole has changed; it is this "part" that hasn't changed. | I see. Thanks, Mike! Quote: |
Originally Posted by MikeNewYork One further point. The sentence is correct in British English. In American English, we normally use "that" in a restrictive relative clause that is not set off from the sentence in commas. We usually reserve "which" for a non-restrictive relative clause, which is set off from the sentence with a comma or commas. |
Hmm...interesting! I didn't know that.
Thank you for the additonal infomation, Mike!! | You're very welcome. |
18-Apr-2004, 20:11
| | Editor, UsingEnglish.com | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: UK
Posts: 25,130
Current Location: Phnom Penh First Language: English Thanks: 2
Thanked 242 Times in 232 Posts
| | Re: Which does this refer to?
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Taka Quote: |
Originally Posted by MikeNewYork One further point. The sentence is correct in British English. In American English, we normally use "that" in a restrictive relative clause that is not set off from the sentence in commas. We usually reserve "which" for a non-restrictive relative clause, which is set off from the sentence with a comma or commas. | Hmm...interesting! I didn't know that.
Thank you for the additonal information, Mike!! | In British English either is ecceptable in a restrictive clause, but we tend to use 'which' in more formal contexts.  |
19-Apr-2004, 07:53
| | VIP Member | | Join Date: Sep 2003 Country: Canada
Posts: 12,997
Current Location: China First Language: English Thanks: 0
Thanked 16 Times in 16 Posts
| | Re: Which does this refer to?
Quote: |
Originally Posted by tdol Quote: |
Originally Posted by Taka Quote: |
Originally Posted by MikeNewYork One further point. The sentence is correct in British English. In American English, we normally use "that" in a restrictive relative clause that is not set off from the sentence in commas. We usually reserve "which" for a non-restrictive relative clause, which is set off from the sentence with a comma or commas. | Hmm...interesting! I didn't know that.
Thank you for the additonal information, Mike!! | In British English either is ecceptable in a restrictive clause, but we tend to use 'which' in more formal contexts. | Canadian English, too. :D |
19-Apr-2004, 10:17
| | Editor, UsingEnglish.com | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: UK
Posts: 25,130
Current Location: Phnom Penh First Language: English Thanks: 2
Thanked 242 Times in 232 Posts
| |
Nice to see Canadians ignoring their neighbours' sub-standard English.  |
19-Apr-2004, 13:30
| | VIP Member | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: USA
Posts: 6,095
Current Location: New York First Language: American English Thanks: 0
Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts
| |
Quote: |
Originally Posted by tdol Nice to see Canadians ignoring their neighbours' sub-standard English. | LOL! We still have standards. :wink: | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes |  Linear Mode | 
Posting Rules
| You may post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off | | | All times are GMT. The time now is 22:02. | |
