extra lights which you make use of the trimmings as spare parts

[Alexey86]

Hello! I've taken the following part from this thread https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/278160-After-installation.

MASH: The client reduced the lights in the ballroom, so we had used the trimming set from those cancelled lights
for the lights damaged in the VIP hall area.

tedmc: You don't call them cancelled light. You can call them spare/unused/extra lights which you make use of the trimmings
as spare parts to replace the same damaged on the new light fitting, while waiting for the new parts to be ordered and delivered.


I've read tedmc's answer several times but can't figure out whether "extra lights" or "the trimmings" are the things "which you make use of as spare parts." Who makes use of what?

 

[tedmc]

You don't call them cancelled light. You can call them spare/unused/extra lights which you make use of the trimmings (of the spare lights) as spare parts to replace the same (the trimmings) damaged on the new light fitting, while waiting for the new parts to be ordered and delivered.

Is the sentence clearer now with the notes added in blue?

 

[Alexey86]

Is the sentence clearer now with the notes added in blue?

No, I'm afraid not. Maybe it will be clearer what confuses me, if I replace "make use of" with "use", since these are close in meaning:

...spare/unused/extra lights which you use the trimmings as spare parts...

To me, the general structure in this case should be the following: ...X which (= X) you make use of/use as Y... I see no room for another object between the verb and "as Y."

 

[tedmc]

There is a difference between "use" and "make use of". The latter means "find a use for something" or "take the opportunity to use something".

You don't call them cancelled light. You can call them spare/unused/extra lights (A) which you make use of the trimmings (B, which is an accessory of A) as spare parts to replace the same (the trimmings) damaged on the new light fitting

The structure of the above sentence is common. I leave it to the teachers to comment further.

 

[tedmc]

If you don't include the bracketed words, you need another (awkward) 'of':

You can call them spare/unused/extra lights which you make use of the trimmings of.
can call them spare/unused/extra lights of which you make use of the trimmings .

Do you mean this? Isn't it unnecessary to repeat "spare lights"? Perhaps we can write "their (spare lights') trimmings" to make it clearer.

You don't call them cancelled light. You can call them spare lights which you make use of the trimmings of the spare lights as spare parts to replace the same (the trimmings) damaged on the new light fitting

 

[Alexey86]

You can call them spare/unused/extra lights which you make use of the trimmings of.
can call them spare/unused/extra lights of which you make use of the trimmings .

It's still unclear to me what the subject makes use of in these sentences. I can discern two parts in "make use of." "Make use" refers to the subject/doer, i.e. it's what the subject does. "Of (which)" refers to the object/receiver of the action. Therefore, I see only two options that make sense to me:

1) You can call them spare/unused/extra lights which you make use (of the trimmings) of as spare parts...
2) You can call them spare/unused/extra lights of which you make use (of the trimmings) as spare parts... (I'm not sure about this option. For some reason I want to use a verb-ing here or "by" + verb-ing: "...of which you make use by doing something.")

Again, I see no option for "of the trimmings."

Here is an example of the first structure (https://ludwig.guru/s/make+use+of+as):

It also outlines the radiation model of commuting which we make use of as a benchmark.

To me, it would be ungrammatical to put one more object between "make use of" and "as..." But maybe I'm missing something. I would be glad if someone would explain it to me.

 

[jutfrank]

I'd use sentence 2.

The doer makes use of the trimmings, not the spare lights. The trimmings 'belong' to the spare lights, thus the extra of.

Is that clear?

 

[Alexey86]

The doer makes use of the trimmings, not the spare lights. The trimmings 'belong' to the spare lights, thus the extra of.

Is that clear?

Can I rewrite the sentence this way: "You can call them spare/unused/extra lights, the trimmings of which you make use of as spare parts...," which means that the subject makes use of the trimmings of the extra lights as spare parts?

 

[jutfrank]

Yes, that's also good.

 

[Alexey86]

I never would have thought that trimmings could be such a headache!