where or in which

Question

A narrative essay is a nonfiction composition --------- the writer explores the subject by telling a story." A)in which   B) which   C)where    D)that     E) whose what do you think is the answer?

Paco2004 · Accepted Answer

I'll choose A and C. I think both would be a right answer.

paco

Diamondrg · Answer

thank you paco. it was asked in a national exam therefore one of them should have a priority over the other. but what I wonder is why a native speaker does not answer this question.

X11 · Answer

I agree with Paco, but I would only use in which myself, as i believe that it sounds more natural.... but then again, I am not a native English speaker.

Jay

CalifJim · Answer

My answer would be A.
I tend to use "where" for situations. A composition is not a situation. Maybe that explains my choice. ???

CJ

Paco2004 · Answer

To me, "a story where …" sounds as natural as "a story in which". Is "nonfiction composition" categorically different from "story"?

paco

Diamondrg · Answer

CalifJimMy answer would be A.
I tend to use "where" for situations. A composition is not a situation. Maybe that explains my choice. ???

CJ

Can you give examples?

Sextus · Answer

Paco2004To me, "a story where …" sounds as natural as "a story in which". Is "nonfiction composition" categorically different from "story"?

paco

I'm not a native speaker either, but I kind of agree with Paco. I myself would choose A, but I must remark that I've seen that both constructions are used by native speakers. This is not to say, of course, that both are grammatically correct, but just that both are commonly used.

Cheers,

Sextus

CalifJim · Answer

Can you give examples?

No. That was the point of the "maybe" and the question marks.
Here's another "maybe":
Maybe it's just that the original sounds like a statement of a definition, and in that context "where" sounds too informal to me. We'd never see "where" used that way in a definition in a dictionary, for example.
(Now watch carefully while Paco finds one!!!

)
CJ

Diamondrg · Answer

CalifJimMy answer would be A.
I tend to use "where" for situations. A composition is not a situation. Maybe that explains my choice. ???

CJ

what about "where in which" in the sentences below? Is it used in English? when? why?

a robot of

1- It is important to understand that when we see these rulings, like the one in Kansas last week where in which the court ruled that schools are unconstitutionally funded in a way that poor children get the least of everything we know that they need.

2- In the start of the school year, I became part of an honors program where in which I decided to write a symphony.

3- The levels are pretty much standard for each chapter in the game, room onto room onto room where in which you have to smash and destroy everything.

4- In this case the peer that is sharing the maximum number of files is given a better priority or a higher utility value then he adds the second utility factor where in which he takes into account the file size.

5- His prejudices against the machines find their way into Spooner’s latest murder investigation, where in which he suspects a robot of committing the murder.

committing the murder.

CalifJim · Answer

"where in which" makes no sense to me.  Is it really supposed to be English?  <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/3.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/3.gif' alt='Emotion: surprise'/>

where or in which

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