a single day where/when

[joham]

There's not a single day where/when I don't make a decision.

Do both where and when work well for the sentence? Is the 'where' used instead of 'when to make the sentence sound more poetic?

Thank you in advance.

 

[kiwi man]

NOT A TEACHER,

I wouldn't use either or because "that" is more appropriate.

There's not a single day THAT I don't make a decision.

 

[5jj]

I wouldn't use either or because "that" is more appropriate.

There's not a single day THAT I don't make a decision.

'When' is fine.

 

[ManjushaNambiar]

Where cannot be used instead of when. Where shows position. When shows time.

 

[Raymott]

Where cannot be used instead of when. Where shows position. When shows time.

That's true. But there are circumstances where the choice is not obvious, as in this abstract concept that involves neither time nor space.

 

[kiwi man]

That's true. But there are circumstances where the choice is not obvious, as in this abstract concept that involves neither time nor space.

That was what I thought as well. It led me to conclude that the word which should be used here is "that."

What is your say though?

 

[Raymott]

That was what I thought as well. It led me to conclude that the word which should be used here is "that."

What is your say though?

Do you mean, "There are circumstances that the choice is not obvious"? That doesn't work. "Where" is correct. You can say, "There are circumstances in which the choice is not obvious."

If you mean the original, I have a small problem with 'that'.
If 'that' substitutes for 'when', it seems to require a preposition, as in the above.
"There's not a single day on which I don't make a decision."
"There's not a single day that I don't make a decision on."
With "when", the preposition isn't needed.

 

[TheParser]

There's not a single day where/when I don't make a decision.

Do both where and when work well for the sentence? Is the 'where' used instead of 'when to make the sentence sound more poetic?

Thank you in advance.

****** NOT A TEACHER *****


Hello, Joham.

(1) Thanks for another great question.

(2) I have learned a lot from the other posters. One of this

website's top teachers wrote that your sentence "involves

neither time nor space." That is a vital point to remember.

(3) I also got this from a top teacher at another helpline: "We can

use 'where' not only to refer to a place, but also to a situation or

occasion." An excellent learner who posts to that website and

this one had given this example: "This is a day where we are celebrating

women around the world."

(4) I'm sure that you know the Longman English Grammar. Well, that

most beloved scholar, L.G. Alexander, said that in a defining (restrictive)

clause, we have this choice:

I remember the summer we had the big drought.
I remember the summer that we had the big drought.
I remember the summer when we had the big drought.
I remember the summer during which we had the big drought.

(5) By the way, I do not think the choice has anything to do with

"poetic reasons."

(6) The bottom line:

(a) Probably many (most?) native speakers "skirt" the issue by simply saying "There's not a single day I don't make a decision."

(b) Like you, I, too, want to know what "connecting word/s" to use.

So I guess we have a big choice:

There's not a single day that I don't make a decision.
There's not a single day when I don't make a decision.
There's not a single day on which I don't make a decision.
There's not a single day during which I don't make a decision.

I think it would be wise to forget "where." But I also think that

it would unwise to say that it is "wrong."

(7) Hopefully, others will join this stimulating discussion.


Sincerely,


James