0
Anonymous Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

What

Hi.

"It might be that the news contradicts what they had believed to be the situation..." [By Blue Jay.]

Is "what" an object of "had believed" in the context?

Thank you.
  

Top answer

Anonymous Is "what" an object of "had believed" in the context? It's more than that. 'what' is a fused relative, so it breaks down into 'that which'.

— CalifJim

  • Anonymous Is "what" an object of "had believed" in the context?
  • It's more than that.
  • 'what' is a fused relative, so it breaks down into 'that which'.
  • The 'that' part (or 'that thing', if you will) is the antecedent, and the 'which' part is the object of the clause.
  • the news contradicts that (thing) which they had believed ___ to be the situation ...
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

2 Answers
0
AnonymousIs "what" an object of "had believed" in the context?
It's more than that. 'what' is a fused relative, so it breaks down into 'that which'. The 'that' part (or 'that thing', if you will) is the antecedent, and the 'which' part is the object of the clause.

... the news contradicts that (thing) which they had believed ___ to be the situation
0
0
Thank you, CJ, for your useful reply.
0

Related Questions