A dog whose owner lets it run loose may cause an accident. The tree whose branches shade my kitchen window is an oak. Which is used for animals in general or things. Bridget visited the park with her dog, which likes to chase squirrels.
Jason bought the top hybrid car, which will help him save on gas. That can be used for people, animals or things. The musician that won the award is Canadian. The car that Jason bought runs on electricity and gas. The dog that is chasing the squirrels belongs to Bridget.
That vs. Essential clauses That always indicates a clause that is essential to the meaning of the sentence because it defines or identifies the noun it refers to. Lisa wore the shoes that she bought in Italy. What shoes? The ones that she bought in Italy. The clause identifies the shoes. Which may also be used to introduce an essential clause. Lisa wore the shoes which she bought in Italy. Non-essential clauses Which is used in a non-essential clause modifying an animal or a thing.
A non-essential clause is separated from its noun with a comma: Lisa wore her best leather shoes, which she bought in Italy. Her best leather ones. The clause is not needed to identify the shoes, so it is non-essential.
In fact, whose can be further used to mark genitive relationships with completely inanimate, sometimes abstract heard nouns: There is a way of proceeding in conceptual matters whose method is to define away any inconvenient difficulty. He might argue that this consensus provides an abstract convention whose implicit extension includes the proposition.
Biber 8. Human or inanimate antecedent. Understanding and Using English Grammar. Biber, Douglas, and Stig Johansson, et al. Pearson Education, Fowler's Modern English Usage.
Burchfield and H. Fowler, revised 3rd ed. Garner, 3rd ed. Huddleston, Rodney D. The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. Cambridge UP, Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage. Reprint ed. Swan, Michael. Practical English Usage. Practice 1 A Used Car. We bought a used car. The fender of it was dented. We bought a used car, — its fender the fender of which which the fender , was dented. Feedback 1. We wanted to buy a used car. The price of the car depended on the market.
We wanted to buy a used car, — the price of which which the price its price depended on the market. Feedback 2. My husband was reading a magazine. The cover of it had a picture of a hybrid car. My husband was reading a magazine, — whose cover which its cover the cover of which had a picture of a hybrid car. Feedback 3. The sun had destroyed the car paint. The color of the paint was faded.
The sun had destroyed the car paint, — whose its color the color of which which its color was faded. Feedback 4. We called a body shop and made an an appointment. The time of the appointment was was rather inconvenient.
We called a body shop and made an appointment , — the time of which which its time which the time was rather inconvenient.
Feedback 5. The car also needed a few minor repairs. The condition of the car was pretty good. The car, — which its condition whose condition the condition of which was pretty good, needed a few minor repairs. Feedback 6. We received a recommendation for a body shop.
I can't remember its name right now. We received a recommendation for a body shop, — its name which the name which its the name of which I can't remember right now. Feedback 7. We got a reasonable estimate. The amount of the estimate was the lowest of all.
We got a reasonable estimate, — the amount of which its amount which was the lowest of all. Feedback 8. Our car was restored to like-new condition. The exterior of our car had aged. Our car , — the exterior which the exterior of which which of the exterior had aged, was restored to like-new condition.
Feedback 9. The body shop was excellent. I recommend the work of this body shop The body shop, — whose work I recommend which its work I recommend the work of which I recommend , was excellent. Feedback Practice 2 Private and Public "Wants". Correct Incorrect. They want car's trunks large enough to haul "stuff" , whether or not they plan to do much of that kind of activity.
They want sporty convertible cars , its tops retract so that they can feel the wind in their hair. Yet the same people may express completely different wants when asked directly. Practice 3 Car Accident. Edit 21 He is the son of the family who his yard is behind us.
Edit 22 The neighbor his son hit our car came over to apologize. Edit 23 His car, the fender had a tiny scratch, was hardly damaged. Edit 24 The car, who its door was dented, was ours. Jasper Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat. Add a comment.
Active Oldest Votes. The correct word to use here is whose. Roughly speaking, which means "the ones that" whose means "possessing the ones that" Consider this as an example: some leaves have fallen off some trees. We would say The leaves which have been lost or The trees whose leaves have been lost One is about the things themselves, the other is about the things that own the other things. Improve this answer.
Take a look at these examples: Do you remember the company whose managers were all from the UK? Michael Rybkin Michael Rybkin MWDEU nicely puts it while commenting on the results of a survey in which the majority of participants marked whose wrong: The specter of the 18th-century grammarian is still loose in the land.
Teachers used to teach that whose was for people and animate things. That is a fact. But I cannot prove and I don't agree with it. MichaelRybkin, thank you for spreading the truth! It was very difficult to come up with a good example where you could easily substitute whose with witch and clearly see that the sentence grammatically breaks apart.
Sorry about that. Which is perfectly grammatical in that sentence. Show 5 more comments. Mori Mori 2, 8 8 gold badges 30 30 silver badges 52 52 bronze badges. A distinction which has nothing to do with the point I raised. Yes, different pronouns are used for different classes; but all relative pronouns, not only whose , are used to distinguish between members of a same class.
This is not to say that whose would be wrong. Now, I would accept whose but your explanation is exactly what my comment above said, which was questioned by one user as if I were saying something out of this world That said, your answer has the merit of showing exactly how this works.
Personally, I'd get rid of it altogether: those organizations with sales that are decreasing day by day.
0コメント