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Electrum Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
Suppressed consequent
A grammatical device that is quite common in Hebrew, Hindi, Spanish and other languages goes like this:
The letter that you sent it to me yesterday has not arrived.
Apparently English logic is that the consequent is to be understood to occupy the vacancy in the relative clause:
The letter that you sent to me yesterday has not arrived.
But how do you put this in English?:
The letter that I commented about whether it was still on the table is missing.
Is it intelligle to say?:
The letter that I commented about whether was still on the table is missing.
The letter that you sent it to me yesterday has not arrived.
Apparently English logic is that the consequent is to be understood to occupy the vacancy in the relative clause:
The letter that you sent to me yesterday has not arrived.
But how do you put this in English?:
The letter that I commented about whether it was still on the table is missing.
Is it intelligle to say?:
The letter that I commented about whether was still on the table is missing.
Top answer
: The letter that I commented about whether was still on the table is missing. No. : The letter that I commented about whether it was still on the table is missing.
- : The letter that I commented about whether was still on the table is missing.
- No.
- : The letter that I commented about whether it was still on the table is missing.
- Just as you've done is the closest you can get to the English structure, but, though understandable, it's not grammatical.
- , in ordinary conversation, the idea would be communicated in two sentences more or less like this: Do you remember my commenting about whether a (certain) letter was still on the table?
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3 Answers
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electrumIs it intelligle to say?:No.
The letter that I commented about whether was still on the table is missing.
electrumhow do you put this in English?:Just as you've done is the closest you can get to the English structure, but, thou
The letter that I commented about whether it was still on the table is missing.
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CalifJimDo you rememberWhat about his?
The chicken that I wanted to eat..
The chicken that I wanted to eat is not cooked yet.
The chicken that I wanted to eat simply would not eat.
Compare some other language:
The chicken that I wanted to eat it..
The chicken that I wanted it to eat...
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electrumWhat about his?What do you mean? What about it? It's one of many possible examples of ambiguity in English!
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