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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Restrictive clause set off with a comma?
Hi. In the Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary, the definition for the word "gasman" is this.
The gasman is a man who works for a gas company, repairing gas appliances in people's houses, or checking how much gas they have used. [BRIT, INFORMAL]
I think the part "repairing gas appliances in people's houses" is an essential clause (I think it is a clause) but (I think) the sentence is set off with a comma because the part it should modify is set afar due to the fact (?) there is the adjective clause "who works for a gas compay" which modifies the word "man" before it.
And the conjunction (I think it is) "or" is placed before the word "checking" in order to avoid possible confusion.
What do you think about what I said?
The gasman is a man who works for a gas company, repairing gas appliances in people's houses, or checking how much gas they have used. [BRIT, INFORMAL]
I think the part "repairing gas appliances in people's houses" is an essential clause (I think it is a clause) but (I think) the sentence is set off with a comma because the part it should modify is set afar due to the fact (?) there is the adjective clause "who works for a gas compay" which modifies the word "man" before it.
And the conjunction (I think it is) "or" is placed before the word "checking" in order to avoid possible confusion.
What do you think about what I said?
Top answer
Hi, Anon. The man who repairs gas appliances in people's houses, or checks how much gas they have used must be working for a gas company. I think it's better to regard the ing-clauses as appended clause---an elliptical clause (usually parenthetical or an afterthought) for which the whole or part of the preceding clause constitutes the antecedent.
- Hi, Anon.
- The man who repairs gas appliances in people's houses, or checks how much gas they have used must be working for a gas company.
- I think it's better to regard the ing-clauses as appended clause---an elliptical clause (usually parenthetical or an afterthought) for which the whole or part of the preceding clause constitutes the antecedent.
- ,or checking...
- Regards, pkr
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1 Answers
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Hi, Anon.
The man who repairs gas appliances in people's houses, or checks how much gas they have used must be working for a gas company. I think it's better to regard the ing-clauses as appended clause---an elliptical clause (usually parenthetical or an afterthought) for which the whole or part of the preceding clause constitutes the antecedent. Hence,
The gasman is a man (
The man who repairs gas appliances in people's houses, or checks how much gas they have used must be working for a gas company. I think it's better to regard the ing-clauses as appended clause---an elliptical clause (usually parenthetical or an afterthought) for which the whole or part of the preceding clause constitutes the antecedent. Hence,
The gasman is a man (
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