Comparative sentence and tense

[jutfrank]

But I don't get any rule, is there any book or website which can help me?

There's no rule and there's no website that can help you.

The problem is that you're trying to apply Chinese thinking to English language. Different cultures have different ways of looking at the world.

 

[kadioguy]

You'd be looking for a very wide "rule", that would probably have so many exceptions that it wouldn't be worth learning.

I mean no offence, but is it a run-on sentence?

I would say:

You'd be looking for a very wide "rule"; that would probably have so many exceptions ...
or
You'd be looking for a very wide "rule", and that would probably have so many exceptions ...

 

[jutfrank]

No. emsr2d2 was using that as a relative pronoun (similar to which) in a non-defining relative clause.

Teachers traditionally teach that only which is correct in this kind of relative clause, but I think that ems has proved that that is also acceptable. I say this partly because I sometimes use that in this way, too.

 

[GoesStation]

Teachers traditionally teach that only which is correct in this kind of relative clause, but I think that ems has proved that that is also acceptable.

It's English-American Difference Day here in Goes Station, so I'm compelled to note that my American ears expect "which" there.

 

[jutfrank]

I'm compelled to note that my American ears expect "which" there.

Interesting. So much so that you read the sentence as a comma splice, like kadioguy?

It sounds very natural to me with that instead of which, though I don't think I'd teach it.

 

[GoesStation]

You'd be looking for a very wide "rule", that would probably have so many exceptions that it wouldn't be worth learning.

Teachers traditionally teach that only which is correct in this kind of relative clause, but I think that ems has proved that that is also acceptable.

It's English-American Difference Day here in Goes Station, so I'm compelled to note that my American ears expect "which" there.

Interesting. So much so that you read the sentence as a comma splice, like kadioguy?

Yes. I almost wrote a post "correcting" away the comma, which would be another way to fix the sentence for my colonial ears. Then I re-read the post and decided maybe it was OK in British English.

 

[jutfrank]

Very interesting. When I read the sentence, I didn't notice anything unusual at all. As I said, I have noticed myself using this kind of that, too, but only really in the last few years. I wonder if it's been creeping into British usage recently.