... as/which Rachel Carson says ...

[EChristina]

Yet, the form of the fable still has values today, as Rachel Carson says in "A Fable for Tomorrow".

I'd like to know if "which" can be used instead of "as". I know the meaning will be different. I am more curious if the grammar is still correct.

 

[tedmc]

I think both work but "as" is more precise and is preferred.

 

[SoothingDave]

The form of the fable has "value" today. Not "values."

 

[EChristina]

I still don't know the sentence structure of using "which" instead of "as", like what the subject, verb and object are. Could anyone please analyze the structure of the sentence?

 

[emsr2d2]

Could anyone please analyze the structure of the sentence?

I have moved your post to a more appropriate sub-forum now that you want the sentence analysed.

 

[jutfrank]

No, which is wrong in this context, regardless of any syntactic structure.

 

[EChristina]

No, which is wrong in this context, regardless of any syntactic structure.

Thank you. Could you please explain why using which is syntactically wrong? It is a multiple-choice question in an exam. “As” is the right answer.

 

[jutfrank]

Yes, as is the right word in this sentence, as it forms part of the longer semi-fixed chunk:

as ______ says

The part represented by a line must be filled with reference to a person. You use this chunk when you want to provide a normally written example of something you've just said, or a point you've just made. The following phrase will normally be a direct reference to the specific written publication in question, such as here (in A Fable for Tomorrow).

You cannot use 'which' in place of 'as' in this chunk.

 

[emsr2d2]

I don't have a problem with "which" (other than the fact that that means there were two possible correct answers in the multiple-choice question).

His name is Jack, as I told you in my letter.
His name is Jack, which I told you in my letter.

My preference is for "as" and that's clearly the answer the question-setter was looking for but using "which" leads to a grammatically correct sentence.

 

[jutfrank]

The question isn't really about grammar or what is syntactically wrong. Apparently, this is a cloze exercise where you have to identify 'as' as the missing word. It doesn't matter whether 'which' makes a grammatical sentence (it does) as it's about usage.