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Shupkay Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Can Pronouns Refer to Clauses?
I have been taught that the pronouns this and which should not refer to anything but single noun antecedents. Are the following sentences ungrammatical?
"I haven't slept in days, which is why I'm so tired."
"I was late yesterday. This made my boss angry."
"I haven't slept in days, which is why I'm so tired."
"I was late yesterday. This made my boss angry."
Top answer
Which can refer not only to a noun, but also to the whole of a previous clause. This , that and it can all be used to refer back to things or situations that have just been talked or written about.
- Which can refer not only to a noun, but also to the whole of a previous clause.
- This , that and it can all be used to refer back to things or situations that have just been talked or written about.
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4 Answers
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Which can refer not only to a noun, but also to the whole of a previous clause. This, that and it can all be used to refer back to things or situations that have just been talked or written about.
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Hi, Nikoo,
I'm having trouble accepting your opinion. I mean, these words are called pronouns for a reason: They take the place of nouns, not clauses. Consider the following sentence.
"Meg telephoned Howard yesterday to explain why she had not attended the meeting the day before. This made Howard angry."
Of course, the intended reason for Howard's an
I'm having trouble accepting your opinion. I mean, these words are called pronouns for a reason: They take the place of nouns, not clauses. Consider the following sentence.
"Meg telephoned Howard yesterday to explain why she had not attended the meeting the day before. This made Howard angry."
Of course, the intended reason for Howard's an
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Nikoo is right that the sentences are OK. But you are right in the referents:
I haven't slept in days, which [fact] is why I'm so tired.
I was late yesterday. This [failing] made my boss angry.
Meg telephoned Howard yesterday to explain why she had not attended the meeting the day before. This [action] made Howard angry.
The adjectives are used prono
I haven't slept in days, which [fact] is why I'm so tired.
I was late yesterday. This [failing] made my boss angry.
Meg telephoned Howard yesterday to explain why she had not attended the meeting the day before. This [action] made Howard angry.
The adjectives are used prono
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A pronoun, like a determined noun-phrase, refers to something - some object, like a chair or an ant or a person. When it stands in place of a noun, it refers to the same underlying thing that the noun refers to.
A clause is a thing, and so a pronoun can refer to it. Whenever someone says "That is true", the "that" refers to a sentence, since only sentences can be true.
It is not
A clause is a thing, and so a pronoun can refer to it. Whenever someone says "That is true", the "that" refers to a sentence, since only sentences can be true.
It is not
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