"...designs, the best of which..." vs. "...designs, and the best of which..."

[ly98ly]

I am currently writing a paper in which I typed the following sentence:
"[...] citing the example of the Threadless platform, where users can upload T-shirt designs, the best of which are selected by all users and then produced and sold by the company"

However, a friend of mine is absolutely certain that the sentence must be phrased like this:
"[...] where users can upload T-shirt designs, and the best of which are selected by all users and then produced and sold by the company"

Which one is correct?

Thank you!

 

[jutfrank]

You're right. Your friend is wrong.

What does your friend think the point of and is?

 

[ly98ly]

You're correct. Your friend is wrong.

What does your friend think the point of and is?

Hm, okay. My friend argues that it's a run-on sentence because it contains all the elements (Subject, Verb, Object etc.) of a discrete sentence and thereby should be connected by "and". To me, however, the phrase "the best of which" makes this a relative sentence that needs to be connected to the previous one in order to make sense.

 

[5jj]

As jutfrank said, you're right. Your friend is wrong.

 

[Phaedrus]

Hm, okay. My friend argues that it's a run-on sentence because it contains all the elements (Subject, Verb, Object etc.) of a discrete sentence and thereby should be connected by "and". To me, however, the phrase "the best of which" makes this a relative sentence that needs to be connected to the previous one in order to make sense.

Yes, "which" tells you that the clause following "T-shirt designs" is a subordinate clause. It is a relative clause modifying that noun phrase (nonrestrictively).

If "which" (a relative pronoun) were replaced by "them" (a personal pronoun), then the clause following "T-shirt designs" would be a separate independent clause:

. . . where users can upload T-shirt designs, the best of which are selected by all users and then produced and sold by the company.
. . . where users can upload T-shirt designs. The best of them are selected by all users and then produced and sold by the company.

Incidentally, the sentence could be phrased in an easier manner that would do away with the need for a relative clause or a separate independent clause:

. . . where users can upload T-shirt designs and have the best of them selected by all users and then produced and sold by the company.

Alternatively, an absolute construction could be used:

. . . where users can upload T-shirt designs, the best of them being selected by all users and then produced and sold by the company.