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Hi.[Here is the link to the original essay.]However, for good reasons, many people view this as a worrying development. Firstly, there are religious arguments against it. It would involve creating another human and then eventually killing it in order to use its organs, which it could be argued is murder.Is the underlined clause correct and well phrased?It think it should be:..., which could be argued (that) it is murder.

Tamguatlay · Accepted Answer

Persian Learner
Hi.
[Here is the link to the original essay.]
However, for good reasons, many people view this as a worrying development. Firstly, there are religious arguments against it. It would involve creating another human and then eventually killing it in order to use its organs, which (it could be argued) is murder.
Is the underlined clause correct and well phrased? (Yes.)

I have inserted part of the clause in brackets as shown above. I think this shows clearly that the underlined clause is fine.

BillJ · Answer

It would involve [creating another human and then eventually killing it in order to use its organs], which it could be argued [___ is murder].

It looks fine to me. Gap is subject of the bracketed embedded content clause inside the relative clause, and is anaphoric to "which", which is anaphoric to the preceding bracketed clause.

We understand that "it could be argued (that) creating another human and then eventually killing it in order to use its organs is murder".

Anonymous · Answer

Persian LearnerHowever, for good reasons, many people view this as a worrying development. Firstly, there are religious arguments against it. It would involve creating another human and then eventually killing it in order to use its organs, which it could be argued is murder.

I understand it like that: ....which, it could be argued, is murder. which [it could be argued] is murder is a sentential relative clause.

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