the most important book "which" you own

[sitifan]

"it can become the most important book which you own"
(my bold, quoted from Selective English for Junior High School Students in Taiwan, Book II, page 90)
Can we use which when the antecedent is modified by a superlative adjective?

 

[emsr2d2]

"It can become the most important book which you own." (My bold)
(my bold,
Source: Selective English for Junior High School Students in Taiwan, Book II, page 90)

Can we use which when the antecedent is modified by the superlative adjective?

Note my changes to the layout above.
Your sentence is grammatical. I see no need for "which" though. Most native speakers would simply say "It can/might become the most important book you own".

 

[emsr2d2]

I should have mentioned in my last response that I wouldn't use "which" but "that" in that sentence. I know, however, that that use of "which" has apparently become grammatically acceptable!

 

[Tarheel]

The grammar doesn't bother me as far as "which" is concerned. However, I would say: "It's the most important book I own." Or something like that.

 

[jutfrank]

Can we use which when the antecedent is modified by a superlative adjective?

I say no. Use 'that', or nothing if it permits, instead.

 

[PaulMatthews]

"it can become the most important book which you own"
(my bold, quoted from Selective English for Junior High School Students in Taiwan, Book II, page 90)
Can we use which when the antecedent is modified by a superlative adjective?

"That" preferred. There is a strong preference for non-wh relatives where the nominal has a superlative modifier, as it does in your example.

Note that there is an even stronger preference in relative constructions such as:

That fish is the biggest [(that) I've ever caught].

 

[BobK]

Your sentence is grammatical. I see no need for "which" though. Most native speakers would simply say "It can/might become the most important book you own".

OK, it's grammatical, but the "can" feels to me very odd; I'd expect to hear/say "This book could/might become..." or even, with a bit of colloquial hyperbole, "will become".