Preposition+ which (that)

[holmes]

Hi, Erin:
I learnt from you that :
PREPOSITION + which (THAT)+ SENTENCE
But sometimes there is no need to have preposition before which or that :
For example:
Skin color is determined by a chemical called melanin which human skin contains in quarter or lesser amounts.

I hope to get your answer as soon as possible.

[Erin]

Hey there, holmes!

Be careful!! If you look at this sentence carefully,

Skin color is determined by a chemical called melanin which human skin contains in quarter or lesser amounts.

human skin contains in quarter or lesser amounts

is NOT a sentence; contains is a transitive verb and needs an object. So, we have to say that this is not a complete sentence.

The object of contains is melanin.

Hope that helps, holmes! Great question, by the way; I'd bet many people were wondering the same thing!!

Erin

[holmes]

Please, can you explain clearer, Erin.
By the way, please check out this sentence:
The anteater has a long sticky tongue which it uses to capture ants and termites from their nests.[Longman]
Do you think this sentence is wrong or right?
PREPOSITION + which (THAT)+ SENTENCE
So this sentence shoud be : ..... a sticky tougue [by which] it uses to capture...




Edited by - holmes on 2002 Apr 08 10:50:07

[Erin]

Hello there holmes!

This rule can be a bit tricky to explain and to understand because we need to know a lot of grammar and grammar terms when we are learning this point.

Let's review a bit. I told you before:

PREPOSITION + which/that+ COMPLETE SENTENCE

First, we need to understand that we need a COMPLETE sentence because in adjective clauses, which/that function as nouns.

For example:

I like the car that is red.

that is the subject of the subordinate clause, that is red. In this case, that is a pronoun; it replaces car.

Since that is the subject of the sentece, we cannot have a complete sentence after it; we must have a verb after it, right?

Let's look at another sentence:

I like the house in which you live.

(This sentence can also be written like this: I like that house that you live in.)

You will notice that we have a complete sentence after which: you live.

We need a complete sentence because in this adjective clause, which is not the subject of the adjective clause but rather the object of the preposition in.

The sentence that you have shown is correct. Let's look again:

The anteater has a long sticky tongue which it uses to capture ants and termites from their nests.

After the word which, we do NOT have a complete sentence:

it uses ITS TONGUEto capture ants and termites from their nests

So you see, in this adjective clause, we are missing ITS TONGUE, the object of the transitive verb uses.

Hope that helps!

Please post further questions here.

Erin

Please search this newsgroup for FAQs & search TestMagic.com from the bottom of every page.

TestMagic.com
San Francisco, CA USA

[holmes]

Ok. I think I got it.
I give you two sentences ,so you can see if I did understand or not.
The knife by which she killed him is on the chair.
The knife which she used to kill him is on the chair.



Edited by - holmes on 2002 Apr 10 21:48:02

[Erin]

The knife by which she killed him.

Almost!! Just gotta change "by" to "with," but you've got the idea!!

Like this ==>

...the knife with which she killed him

By the way, why'd you choose such a macabre sentence????

The knife which she used to kill him

YES!! You got it!! Amazing! Another success story!!

Erin

[holmes]

Thank you very much, Erin but it is not "a success story". Right?
In fact I will take TOEFL in May , so I hope to get the score I want. I think it is rather difficult but I keep studying and I will bother you more. .




Edited by - holmes on 2002 Apr 13 09:13:26