the reason which

[Matthew Wai]

I think some learners like me want to draw a line between being unnatural and being ungrammatical, otherwise we would be confused.

 

[mawes12]

I think 'for what' can replace 'why'.

Not a teacher.

 

[MikeNewYork]

It doesn't need a replacement. It should just be deleted.

 

[Rover_KE]

I think some learners like me want to draw a line between being unnatural and being ungrammatical...

That is impossible. There is a wide variation in what native speakers consider natural and unnatural, depending on their nationality, age, social group and regional dialect.

Can't the same be said about Chinese?

 

[tzfujimino]

MikeNewYork

Why is it incorrect? I want to know the reason.

- Tell me the reason which you won't come.

Please let me try to divide the sentence into two to explain the matter. They would be something like this:

Tell me the reason. You won't come [for the reason].

If you wish to join the two sentences using a relative pronoun, it goes like this:

1. Tell me the reason [for which] you won't come.

Those words in brackets function adverbially, and therefore it's grammatically possible to use a relative adverb 'why' as a replacement:

2. Tell me the reason [why] you won't come.

However, 'the reason' and 'why' mean the same thing, so (I think) people prefer to use 'that' instead of 'why' or to use either of those words - not both of them:

3. Tell me the reason that you won't come.
4. Tell me the reason you won't come.
5. Tell me why you won't come.

#1 and #2 are grammatically correct, but unfortunately they might sound too formal or unnatural.

Well, I hope I'm not talking nonsense!

 

[Matthew Wai]

Would it be unnatural to say 'Tell me for what reason you won't come'?

There is a wide variation in what native speakers consider natural and unnatural, depending on their nationality, age, social group and regional dialect.

Then is it possible that a sentence considered unnatural on this forum is considered acceptable elsewhere?

Can't the same be said about Chinese?

The variation might even be wider in Chinese, because native speakers of Chinese are many more than those of English, according to WIKIPEDIA.

 

[TheParser]

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

Michael Swan's beloved Practical English Usage (1995 edition, entry -- NOT page -- #473.3:

"Do you know the reason why she doesn't like me?"

Mr. Swan, like Teacher Tzfujimino, says that it means "Do you know the reason for which she doesn't like me?"

 

[Matthew Wai]

the reason for which

According to MikeNewYork's post#20, it is not considered correct although grammatical.

Not a teacher.

 

[MikeNewYork]

If Mr. Swan believed the word "Practical" in his title, he would have deleted either "the reason" or "why".

 

[Rover_KE]

Is it possible that a sentence considered unnatural on this forum is considered acceptable elsewhere?

Certainly, and it comes even closer to home than that. There are occasions when ems (Southern England) and I (Northern England) disagree on what sounds natural.

 

[Matthew Wai]

There are occasions when ems (Southern England) and I (Northern England) disagree on what sounds natural.

I think the following is an example, but I am not a teacher.
https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/...ing-of-knock?p=1143072&viewfull=1#post1143072

 

[Barb_D]

I am coming to this thread late, but I want to add my voice to Mike's. It is redundant to say "the reason why." Either say "the reason" or say "why," but not both.

It is not ungrammatical, but I am quite surprised that Mr. Swan suggested that it was a good use, and almost universally among writers it is considered bad style.