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Tensai1031 Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Having a question about the sentence structure.
Let's review quickly the following paragrap.
What’s the greatest threat to the Earth today? I’d have to say it’s probably a combination of global warming and the greenhouse effect. I don’t understand all the science behind it, but I understand it’s to do with the build up of gases such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which means that the planet is slowly but steadily getting warmer
In above paragraph, I wonder if the two bold pronoun "it" in second sentence replaces " a combination of global warming and the greenhouse effect", and the relative clause "which...." modifies "it" or the sentence " but I understand it’s to do with the build up of gases such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,"
I don't totally understand the structure of the second sentence.
Thank your help in advance.
What’s the greatest threat to the Earth today? I’d have to say it’s probably a combination of global warming and the greenhouse effect. I don’t understand all the science behind it, but I understand it’s to do with the build up of gases such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which means that the planet is slowly but steadily getting warmer
In above paragraph, I wonder if the two bold pronoun "it" in second sentence replaces " a combination of global warming and the greenhouse effect", and the relative clause "which...." modifies "it" or the sentence " but I understand it’s to do with the build up of gases such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,"
I don't totally understand the structure of the second sentence.
Thank your help in advance.
Top answer
" modifies "it" or the sentence " but I understand it’s to do with the build up of gases such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere," There is no way to determine grammatically which referents the writer meant. Semantically, it makes little or no difference here, however.
- " modifies "it" or the sentence " but I understand it’s to do with the build up of gases such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere," There is no way to determine grammatically which referents the writer meant.
- Semantically, it makes little or no difference here, however.
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2 Answers
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tensai1031In above paragraph, I wonder if the two bold pronoun "it" in second sentence replaces " a combination of global warming and the greenhouse effect", and the relative clause "which...." modifies "it" or the sentence " but I understand it’s to do with the build up of gases such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,"There is no way to determine gramma
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A more careful writer would have put "I don't understand the science behind it all ...." The second "it" is the expletive "it".
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