Rules

Question

There are no fast rules of how to determine what a culture is or who belongs to that culture.About the part in bold, is it 'no fast rules of who...' or 'to determine who...'?

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

...of how to determine (what...or) who..

4444mv · Answer

I have always heard the phrase as "hard and fast rules"; I've never heard just "fast rules".

The following examples sound fine to me:
There are no hard and fast rules to determine what....
There are no hard and fast rules about determining ....
There are no hard and fast rules about what ....

Do you agree CJ?

Taka · Answer

Mister Micawber...of how to determine (what...or) who..

Do you mean 'who...' is a noun phrase and the object of 'determine', MM?

Mister Micawber · Answer

Yes, or a 'complement'.  I've been confused lately about terms.

Taka · Answer

Good. Thanks, MM.

4444mv · Answer

Hi Taka,

There are no fast rules of how to determine what a culture is or who belongs to that culture.

... determine what a culture is or who belongs... is a Wh-nominal clause (it stands for a noun = determine something) and it functions as the direct object of the verb.

Some other functions of wh-nominal clauses:
Subject: How the book will sell depends on its author.
Subject complement: The problem is not who will go, but who will stay.
Appositive: My question, why he did it at all, has not been answered.
Adjectival complement: I wasn't certain whose house I was in.
Prepositional complement: No one was consulted on who should have the prize.

As regards meaning, these clauses resemble wh-questions in that they give a gap of unknown information.

mv

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