an interrogative VS a relative

zzang418lee · Feb 16, 2011

I've hit on some stupid question.

"I asked John who was the president of the company."

I think this sentence is ambiguous depending on how a person regards 'who'.
1. if the person thinks it is an interroative, it would mean 'I asked John to tell me who is the president.'
2. but, if it is seen as a relative, it would mean 'I asked John, and he is the president.'

Am I right? or did I miss some important factors?
Thank you

Raymott · Feb 16, 2011

zzang418lee said:
I've hit on some stupid question.

"I asked John who was the president of the company."

I think this sentence is ambiguous depending on how a person regards 'who'.
1. if the person thinks it is an interroative, it would mean 'I asked John to tell me who is the president.'
2. but, if it is seen as a relative, it would mean 'I asked John, and he is the president.'

Am I right? or did I miss some important factors?
Thank you

It wouldn't be ambiguous. In writing, you need a comma for the second. In speaking the intonation patterns are different.

engee30 · Feb 16, 2011

♥♦♣♠ NOT A TEACHER ♥♦♣♠
I've got a feeling there's a difference in meaning between:

I asked John who was the president of the company.
and
I asked John who the president of the company was.

Bamako5 · Feb 16, 2011

engee30 said:
I asked John who was the president of the company. :cross:

I asked John, (comma) who was the president of the company. :tick:
I asked that John (there are several people with the name John) who was the president of the company. :tick:
:up:

5jj · Feb 16, 2011

engee30 said:
♥♦♣♠ NOT A TEACHER ♥♦♣♠
I've got a feeling there's a difference in meaning between:

I asked John who was the president of the company.
and
I asked John who the president of the company was.

The first could be either an indirect question (with a less than happily placed was) or, with a comma (see Raymott's post), a relative clause.

The second can only be a relative clause - with a more appropriately placed was.

an interrogative VS a relative

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