0
English 1b3 Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

'as to' vs 'about'

I read that 'as to' is an awkward construction that should be avoided in writing and replaced with 'about' or should require the sentence to be re-written.

Which is the best version and why?

a) There is no confusion as to what is the antecedent of the relative clause.



b) There is no confusion about what is the antecedent of the relative clause.



c) There is no confusion about what the antecedent of the relative clause is.

Which is the best version and why?

1) There is no confusion as to whether the sentence should be re-written or not.



2) There is no confusion about whether the sentence should be re-written or not.





Thanks
  

Top answer

Greetings, English 1b3 Which is the best version and why? a) ? There is no confusion as to what is the antecedent of the relative clause.

— Andriy Lapin

  • Greetings, English 1b3 Which is the best version and why?
  • a) ?
  • There is no confusion as to what is the antecedent of the relative clause.
  • b) There is no confusion about what is the antecedent of the relative clause.
  • c) There is no confusion about what the antecedent of the relative clause is.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

25 Answers
0
Greetings,
English 1b3Which is the best version and why?

a) ? There is no confusion as to what is the antecedent of the relative clause.




b) There is no confusion about what is the antecedent of
0
0
Gleb_ChebrikoffThis word order is aggravated by the end-weight principle.

What's the end-weight principle?

Also, is a correct, just less preferred?
0
0
'A' is better not used in serious writing.

You can find out more about the principle following any hit in any search engine - there is plenty of information on this one, my friend.

Respectfully, Gleb Chebrikoff
0
0
English 1b3a) There is no confusion as to what is the antecedent of the relative clause.
This is what the Random House Unabridged Dictionary says about as to:

AS TO as a compound preposition has long been standard though occasionally criticized as a vague substitute for about, of, on, or concerning: We were undecided as to our destination
0
0
1. It is interesting to note sometimes how linguistic authorities disagree on the appropriateness of using a good deal of words, including this nasty pair - 'as to'. They do occur at the beginning of sentences for the sake of emphasis, but some time ago they have taken to inserting themselves into the phrase like 'the question whether', thus producing the needless and distasteful variant 'the que
0
0
Cool BreezeAnother point is that in my grammar a relative clause can't have an antecedent
This is also my understanding of "antecedent".

CJ
0
0
Cool BreezeAS TO WHAT and AS TO WHETHER are sometimes considered redundant but have long been standard: an argument as to what department was responsible.

Thanks, everyone. How is this use of as to redundant? I can't see how it could be removed to leave a coherent sentence.
0
0
This one is Mr C.E. Eckersley's:

0
0
Gleb_ChebrikoffRespectfully, Gleb Chebrikoff
I understood your view the first time you mentioned it, GC.
0
0
Cool BreezeHowever, as what begins an indirect question, I would change the word order: There is no confusion as to what the antecedent of the relative clause is

Could you, CB, or anyone else, please explain why 'is' needs to go there, instead of here:

There is no confusion as to what the antecedent of the relative clause
0

Related Questions