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Starstuff Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
"I did what I thought was right"
Could someone explain why sentences such as "I did what I thought was right" are grammatical? (I understand it's grammatical only when "I thought" is absent.)
I''ll just use another example as a comparison: I know the sentence "I heard what the news said was wrong" is correct because "I heard" here is followed by a noun clause, which is "(that) + a complete sentence". Similarly, "I thought what I did was right" is also correct.
Lastly, is "I did that what I thought was right" grammatical (though unnatural)? It just doesn't make sense to me.
Thanks for any help.
I''ll just use another example as a comparison: I know the sentence "I heard what the news said was wrong" is correct because "I heard" here is followed by a noun clause, which is "(that) + a complete sentence". Similarly, "I thought what I did was right" is also correct.
Lastly, is "I did that what I thought was right" grammatical (though unnatural)? It just doesn't make sense to me.
Thanks for any help.
Top answer
I did what I thought was right -- This is fine; I'm not sure what you want me to explain. Other parallels: I bought what I was sure she would like; They sat where they assumed they would not be bothered, etc. I thought what I did was right -- Also correct, but with a different viewpoint.
- I did what I thought was right -- This is fine; I'm not sure what you want me to explain.
- Other parallels: I bought what I was sure she would like; They sat where they assumed they would not be bothered, etc.
- I thought what I did was right -- Also correct, but with a different viewpoint.
- I did that what I thought was right -- This indeed makes no grammatical sense to me.
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4 Answers
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I did what I thought was right -- This is fine; I'm not sure what you want me to explain. Other parallels: I bought what I was sure she would like; They sat where they assumed they would not be bothered, etc.
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I thought what I did was right-- Also correct, but with a different viewpoint.
I did that what I thought was right-- This
I did what I thought was right -- This is fine; I'm not sure what you want me to explain. Other parallels: I bought what I was sure she would like; They sat where they assumed they would not be bothered, etc.
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I thought what I did was right-- Also correct, but with a different viewpoint.
I did that what I thought was right-- This
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Thanks Mister Micawber.
I have no problem understanding your examples:
I bought what I was sure (that) she would like. ("that she would like" works as an adverb phrase that modifies "sure")
I bought what I liked.
I bought an object.
In these cases, "what I was sure" and "what I liked" are both objects, and the sentences have this structure: subject + ve
I have no problem understanding your examples:
I bought what I was sure (that) she would like. ("that she would like" works as an adverb phrase that modifies "sure")
I bought what I liked.
I bought an object.
In these cases, "what I was sure" and "what I liked" are both objects, and the sentences have this structure: subject + ve
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StarstuffIs it actually "I did what, I thought, was right"?Yes.
I did what was right. I did that (action) which was right. (what = that which)
I thought that it was right. I thought it was right. (thought it was = thought that it was)
Combining, you get I did what I thought was right. = *I did that action whic
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