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Fire1 Posted 6 years ago
Grammar

What does "what" refers to?

1. I think you have to consider this for what you think it is worth.

https://www.google.co.kr/search?tbm=bks&sxsrf=ALeKk02h4ZGsapa4Tffqiz-ovtGpEuxTUw%3A1584368310924&ei=topvXor8N5G9mAXBsb54&q=%22I+think+you+have+to+consider+it+for+what+you+think+it+is+worth%22&oq=%22I+think+you+have+to+consider+it+for+what+you+think+it+is+worth%22&gs_l=psy-ab.3...2119.3530.0.3762.6.6.0.0.0.0.181.510.0j3.3.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..3.0.0....0.DJQ8xQjrc2k

2. It sickened her to think of this for what it was.

https://books.google.co.kr/books?id=uKS3JgPQS_YC&pg=PA57&dq=It+sickened+her+to+think+of+it+for+what+it+was%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=It%20sickened%20her%20to%20think%20of%20it%20for%20what%20it%20was%22&f=false

(I found 1 and 2 sentences on Google, and in the original sentences, I changed "it" to "this" to make this question simple)

Q1) Are both sentences correct?

Q2) Is "what" referring to "this" in both sentences?

I do think that both sentences are correct and "this" is referring to "what" because by doing so, both sentences make sense.

  

Top answer

[1] I think you have to consider this for what you think it is worth . [2] It sickened her to think of this for what it was . No, "what" does not refer to "this": "it" does.

— BillJ

  • [1] I think you have to consider this for what you think it is worth .
  • [2] It sickened her to think of this for what it was .
  • No, "what" does not refer to "this": "it" does.
  • These are both 'fused' relative constructions where the underlined elements are noun phrases in which the relative word "what" functions simultaneously as head of the NP and as an element within the relative clause: as complement of "worth" in [1] and as predicative complement of "was" in [2].
  • In other words, the antecedent and the relative word are fused together into the single word "what", rather than being expressed separately as in simpler constructions.
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1 Answers
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[1] I think you have to consider this for what you think it is worth.

[2] It sickened her to think of this for what it was.


No, "what" does not refer to "this": "it" does.

These are both 'fused' relative constructions where the underlined elements are noun phrases in which the relative word "what" functions s

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