Relative clauses

Question

In the following sentences, can the relative pronoun be omitted? Why?

Ask the question that only the good candidates will be able to answer well. You will get a number of responses, which you will need to decide between.

In the Cambridge Grammer for Business it says it mustn´t be left out but I think that it can.

The key of Market leader int. also says "He laughs when he recalls Porsches 1994 capital issue, that or which sold out in afew hours after Deutsche Bank had refused to underwrite the deal. His favourite stories centre on his home-grown potatoes, that or which he harvests with a bright red 1960s vintage Porsche tractor, a wedding present.

Are the clauses indefining? Is so, why does the key use that and not only which?

Thanks.

Barbora Kocianova

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

AnonymousIn the following sentences, can the relative pronoun be omitted? Why?
Ask the question that only the good candidates will be able to answer well. You will get a number of responses, which you will need to decide between.

In this sentence, I would not omit the relative pronouns.

AnonymousThe key of Market leader int. also says "He laughs when he recalls Porsches 1994 capital issue, that or which sold out in a few hours after Deutsche Bank had refused to underwrite the deal. His favourite stories centre on his home-grown potatoes, that or which he harvests with a bright red 1960s vintage Porsche tractor, a wedding present.
Are the clauses not defining? Is so, why does the key use that and not only which?

He laughs when he recalls Porsches 1994 capital issue.
If there was only one 1994 capital issue, the additional information is not necessary to define which one. If there was more than one, then clause is defining. A stock issue is a major enterprise, so it is not likely that there was more than one in that year. However, the fact that it sold out so quickly is very important to his story. That is what makes him remember this particular issue.

His favourite stories centre on his home-grown potatoes.

I think that the tractor is important to the story. If you leave the clause out, the story loses some of its appeal.

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousIn the following sentences, can the relative pronoun be omitted? Why?
Ask the question that only the good candidates will be able to answer well. You will get a number of responses, which you will need to decide between.

In the first sentence that can be omitted, but in my opinion it reads better with that. If the comma is to be retained in the second sentence, which cannot be omitted. If you remove the comma, making the relative clause restrictive, you can omit which.

AnonymousAre the clauses indefining?

I usually use the word "non-restrictive" for this, but I think we're both talking about the same thing. The commas indicate that the clauses are non-restrictive, yes.

AnonymousIs so, why does the key use that and not only which?

I don't know. You'd have to ask the editors to explain how they overlooked this mistake. Because of the commas, I would say that only which is correct.

CJ

Relative clauses

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