Dear MikeNewYork

[wendy]

"I was on your Web site, and you have some pictures and videos of you guys partying like ******* animals"
wendy wrote:

Can I change the sentence to "I was on your Web site, and you have some pictures and videos of you guys that were partying like ******* animals"?? Is it still mean the same??

Yes, the meaning is the same, but that is less natural. If it were "guys" instead of "you guys", your relative clause would be fine.

1. Can I change the sentence to "I was on your Web site, and you have some pictures and videos of you guys that are partying like ******* animals"?? Is it still mean the same??


2. I don't understand. Why is it less natural??

3. If it's I was on your Web site, and you have some pictures and videos of you that were partying like ******* animals" Is this less natural too??

4. I should write "Is this less natural either "or"'Is this natural too"??

5. And if I use guys instead of you guys, Doesn't it change the meaning of the sentence??

 

[Casiopea]

Re: Dear MikeNewYork...

1. '...pictures and videos of you guys partying like animals.'

The pictures and videos show you guys doing something (i.e. 'partying like animals'). 'partying like animals' describes 'you guys'.

2. '...pictures and videos of you guys that are partying like animals.'

Sentence 2. is strange (i.e. unnatural). It means, the pictures and videos are partying like animals.

3. '...pictures and videos of you that were partying like animals".

Aside from past tense 'were', sentence 3. holds the same meaning as 2.: the pictures and videos are partying. Strange, wouldn't you agree?

5. And if I use guys instead of you guys, doesn't it change the meaning of the sentence??

Yes.

A. ...videos of guys that~who were partying
B. ...pictures and videos of you guys that were partying

Sentence A is correct, whereas sentence B is odd. The reason being, the phrase 'you guys' is headed by a pronoun.

Noun + who: Pictures of John who was partying... (OK)
Pronoun + who: Pictures of him who was partying... (Not OK)

In short, 'that were partying' can't modify 'you guys', so it modifies the only noun phrase in the sentence 'pictures and videos, resulting in a strange, unnatural meaning.