Is this relative clause correct? [closed]
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I came across the following weird restrictive relative clause in which 'of which' is used in place of 'whose'. Actually, l am not quite sure whether it is correct or not.
The plane (the right engine of which broke down) has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
relative-clauses
asked May 28 at 18:23
Mido MidoMido Mido
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closed as off-topic by Edwin Ashworth, JJJ, Chappo, K J, J. Taylor Jun 13 at 23:35
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- "Please include the research you’ve done, or consider if your question suits our English Language Learners site better. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic." – JJJ, J. Taylor
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I came across the following weird restrictive relative clause in which 'of which' is used in place of 'whose'. Actually, l am not quite sure whether it is correct or not.
The plane (the right engine of which broke down) has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
relative-clauses
asked May 28 at 18:23
Mido MidoMido Mido
68513 silver badges23 bronze badges
closed as off-topic by Edwin Ashworth, JJJ, Chappo, K J, J. Taylor Jun 13 at 23:35
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Please include the research you’ve done, or consider if your question suits our English Language Learners site better. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic." – JJJ, J. Taylor
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
Makes no sense to me. Could you elaborate on why you think it might be correct?
– Boondoggle
May 28 at 18:37
Possible duplicate of Defining and Non defining Relative clauses
– Edwin Ashworth
May 28 at 18:52
@Edwin Ashworth: My question is not an exact copy of the one you are referring to.
– Mido Mido
May 28 at 20:04
Are you saying that you think it's incorrect? Why? Are you suggesting that it should be "whose right engine broke down"? Why? What research have you done regarding when to use whose vs of which?
– Chappo
May 29 at 15:31
add a comment
|
I came across the following weird restrictive relative clause in which 'of which' is used in place of 'whose'. Actually, l am not quite sure whether it is correct or not.
The plane (the right engine of which broke down) has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
relative-clauses
asked May 28 at 18:23
Mido MidoMido Mido
68513 silver badges23 bronze badges
I came across the following weird restrictive relative clause in which 'of which' is used in place of 'whose'. Actually, l am not quite sure whether it is correct or not.
The plane (the right engine of which broke down) has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
relative-clauses
relative-clauses
asked May 28 at 18:23
Mido MidoMido Mido
68513 silver badges23 bronze badges
asked May 28 at 18:23
Mido MidoMido Mido
68513 silver badges23 bronze badges
edited May 28 at 19:48
Mido Mido
asked May 28 at 18:23
Mido MidoMido Mido
68513 silver badges23 bronze badges
asked May 28 at 18:23
Mido MidoMido Mido
68513 silver badges23 bronze badges
asked May 28 at 18:23
Mido MidoMido Mido
68513 silver badges23 bronze badges
68513 silver badges23 bronze badges
closed as off-topic by Edwin Ashworth, JJJ, Chappo, K J, J. Taylor Jun 13 at 23:35
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Please include the research you’ve done, or consider if your question suits our English Language Learners site better. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic." – JJJ, J. Taylor
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
closed as off-topic by Edwin Ashworth, JJJ, Chappo, K J, J. Taylor Jun 13 at 23:35
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Please include the research you’ve done, or consider if your question suits our English Language Learners site better. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic." – JJJ, J. Taylor
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
closed as off-topic by Edwin Ashworth, JJJ, Chappo, K J, J. Taylor Jun 13 at 23:35
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "Please include the research you’ve done, or consider if your question suits our English Language Learners site better. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic." – JJJ, J. Taylor
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
Makes no sense to me. Could you elaborate on why you think it might be correct?
– Boondoggle
May 28 at 18:37
Possible duplicate of Defining and Non defining Relative clauses
– Edwin Ashworth
May 28 at 18:52
@Edwin Ashworth: My question is not an exact copy of the one you are referring to.
– Mido Mido
May 28 at 20:04
Are you saying that you think it's incorrect? Why? Are you suggesting that it should be "whose right engine broke down"? Why? What research have you done regarding when to use whose vs of which?
– Chappo
May 29 at 15:31
add a comment
|
Makes no sense to me. Could you elaborate on why you think it might be correct?
– Boondoggle
May 28 at 18:37
Possible duplicate of Defining and Non defining Relative clauses
– Edwin Ashworth
May 28 at 18:52
@Edwin Ashworth: My question is not an exact copy of the one you are referring to.
– Mido Mido
May 28 at 20:04
Are you saying that you think it's incorrect? Why? Are you suggesting that it should be "whose right engine broke down"? Why? What research have you done regarding when to use whose vs of which?
– Chappo
May 29 at 15:31
Makes no sense to me. Could you elaborate on why you think it might be correct?
– Boondoggle
May 28 at 18:37
Makes no sense to me. Could you elaborate on why you think it might be correct?
– Boondoggle
May 28 at 18:37
Possible duplicate of Defining and Non defining Relative clauses
– Edwin Ashworth
May 28 at 18:52
Possible duplicate of Defining and Non defining Relative clauses
– Edwin Ashworth
May 28 at 18:52
@Edwin Ashworth: My question is not an exact copy of the one you are referring to.
– Mido Mido
May 28 at 20:04
@Edwin Ashworth: My question is not an exact copy of the one you are referring to.
– Mido Mido
May 28 at 20:04
Are you saying that you think it's incorrect? Why? Are you suggesting that it should be "whose right engine broke down"? Why? What research have you done regarding when to use whose vs of which?
– Chappo
May 29 at 15:31
Are you saying that you think it's incorrect? Why? Are you suggesting that it should be "whose right engine broke down"? Why? What research have you done regarding when to use whose vs of which?
– Chappo
May 29 at 15:31
add a comment
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2 Answers
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I don't know of any reason why that sentence should be considered syntactically incorrect in formal written English. "Of which" is not a very natural start to a relative clause, but it is an acceptable one in this kind of English: it uses the relative pronoun which, which can stand for an inanimate noun phrase like "the plane", and the preposition "of". The preposition comes before the relative pronoun because of what linguists call "pied-piping". There are some restrictions on pied-piping, but I don't think this sentence violates any of them. Maybe some speakers/writer have stricter restrictions on pied-piping in this context than I do.
If you convert it to separate sentences, it makes sense and is clearly grammatical:
(The right engine of the plane broke down.) The plane has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
answered May 28 at 20:07
sumelicsumelic
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The phrase "of which" is usually used in non-defining or non-essential relative clauses, which are offset by commas, and which are not essential to identifying the particular antecedent.
If the context of the sentence makes it clear what particular plane is being referred to, the sentence is correct if you add the commas:
The plane, the right engine of which broke down, has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
However, if knowing that the right engine broke down is in fact essential to identifying the plane in question, the relative clause is essential, and must use a relative pronoun (which will require some rewording):
The plane whose right engine broke down has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
The plane which had a broken-down right engine has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
answered May 28 at 18:39
geekahedrongeekahedron
1,8062 silver badges13 bronze badges
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This is incorrect. Restrictive relative clauses, as well as non-restrictive ones, can have such relative expressions with "of which". "The constructions of which I speak have the intonation and interpretation of restrictive relatives."
– Greg Lee
May 28 at 18:59
That "of which" is a prepositional phrase, not a relative pronoun. That does make me second-guess the assertion in the original question, though, that the quoted phrase is a relative clause, since the pronoun is neither the subject nor the object of the verb in the clause.
– geekahedron
May 28 at 19:27
The word "which" is a relative pronoun. It remains a relative pronoun when it occurs in the prepositional phrase "of which".
– sumelic
May 28 at 19:58
@Geekahedron: Your suggested rewording is ok, but your '... not completely correct' is ambiguous.
– Mido Mido
May 28 at 20:12
add a comment
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
I don't know of any reason why that sentence should be considered syntactically incorrect in formal written English. "Of which" is not a very natural start to a relative clause, but it is an acceptable one in this kind of English: it uses the relative pronoun which, which can stand for an inanimate noun phrase like "the plane", and the preposition "of". The preposition comes before the relative pronoun because of what linguists call "pied-piping". There are some restrictions on pied-piping, but I don't think this sentence violates any of them. Maybe some speakers/writer have stricter restrictions on pied-piping in this context than I do.
If you convert it to separate sentences, it makes sense and is clearly grammatical:
(The right engine of the plane broke down.) The plane has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
answered May 28 at 20:07
sumelicsumelic
57.6k8 gold badges136 silver badges257 bronze badges
add a comment
|
I don't know of any reason why that sentence should be considered syntactically incorrect in formal written English. "Of which" is not a very natural start to a relative clause, but it is an acceptable one in this kind of English: it uses the relative pronoun which, which can stand for an inanimate noun phrase like "the plane", and the preposition "of". The preposition comes before the relative pronoun because of what linguists call "pied-piping". There are some restrictions on pied-piping, but I don't think this sentence violates any of them. Maybe some speakers/writer have stricter restrictions on pied-piping in this context than I do.
If you convert it to separate sentences, it makes sense and is clearly grammatical:
(The right engine of the plane broke down.) The plane has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
answered May 28 at 20:07
sumelicsumelic
57.6k8 gold badges136 silver badges257 bronze badges
add a comment
|
I don't know of any reason why that sentence should be considered syntactically incorrect in formal written English. "Of which" is not a very natural start to a relative clause, but it is an acceptable one in this kind of English: it uses the relative pronoun which, which can stand for an inanimate noun phrase like "the plane", and the preposition "of". The preposition comes before the relative pronoun because of what linguists call "pied-piping". There are some restrictions on pied-piping, but I don't think this sentence violates any of them. Maybe some speakers/writer have stricter restrictions on pied-piping in this context than I do.
If you convert it to separate sentences, it makes sense and is clearly grammatical:
(The right engine of the plane broke down.) The plane has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
answered May 28 at 20:07
sumelicsumelic
57.6k8 gold badges136 silver badges257 bronze badges
I don't know of any reason why that sentence should be considered syntactically incorrect in formal written English. "Of which" is not a very natural start to a relative clause, but it is an acceptable one in this kind of English: it uses the relative pronoun which, which can stand for an inanimate noun phrase like "the plane", and the preposition "of". The preposition comes before the relative pronoun because of what linguists call "pied-piping". There are some restrictions on pied-piping, but I don't think this sentence violates any of them. Maybe some speakers/writer have stricter restrictions on pied-piping in this context than I do.
If you convert it to separate sentences, it makes sense and is clearly grammatical:
(The right engine of the plane broke down.) The plane has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
answered May 28 at 20:07
sumelicsumelic
57.6k8 gold badges136 silver badges257 bronze badges
answered May 28 at 20:07
sumelicsumelic
57.6k8 gold badges136 silver badges257 bronze badges
answered May 28 at 20:07
sumelicsumelic
57.6k8 gold badges136 silver badges257 bronze badges
answered May 28 at 20:07
sumelicsumelic
57.6k8 gold badges136 silver badges257 bronze badges
57.6k8 gold badges136 silver badges257 bronze badges
add a comment
|
add a comment
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The phrase "of which" is usually used in non-defining or non-essential relative clauses, which are offset by commas, and which are not essential to identifying the particular antecedent.
If the context of the sentence makes it clear what particular plane is being referred to, the sentence is correct if you add the commas:
The plane, the right engine of which broke down, has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
However, if knowing that the right engine broke down is in fact essential to identifying the plane in question, the relative clause is essential, and must use a relative pronoun (which will require some rewording):
The plane whose right engine broke down has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
The plane which had a broken-down right engine has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
answered May 28 at 18:39
geekahedrongeekahedron
1,8062 silver badges13 bronze badges
1
This is incorrect. Restrictive relative clauses, as well as non-restrictive ones, can have such relative expressions with "of which". "The constructions of which I speak have the intonation and interpretation of restrictive relatives."
– Greg Lee
May 28 at 18:59
That "of which" is a prepositional phrase, not a relative pronoun. That does make me second-guess the assertion in the original question, though, that the quoted phrase is a relative clause, since the pronoun is neither the subject nor the object of the verb in the clause.
– geekahedron
May 28 at 19:27
The word "which" is a relative pronoun. It remains a relative pronoun when it occurs in the prepositional phrase "of which".
– sumelic
May 28 at 19:58
@Geekahedron: Your suggested rewording is ok, but your '... not completely correct' is ambiguous.
– Mido Mido
May 28 at 20:12
add a comment
|
The phrase "of which" is usually used in non-defining or non-essential relative clauses, which are offset by commas, and which are not essential to identifying the particular antecedent.
If the context of the sentence makes it clear what particular plane is being referred to, the sentence is correct if you add the commas:
The plane, the right engine of which broke down, has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
However, if knowing that the right engine broke down is in fact essential to identifying the plane in question, the relative clause is essential, and must use a relative pronoun (which will require some rewording):
The plane whose right engine broke down has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
The plane which had a broken-down right engine has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
answered May 28 at 18:39
geekahedrongeekahedron
1,8062 silver badges13 bronze badges
1
This is incorrect. Restrictive relative clauses, as well as non-restrictive ones, can have such relative expressions with "of which". "The constructions of which I speak have the intonation and interpretation of restrictive relatives."
– Greg Lee
May 28 at 18:59
That "of which" is a prepositional phrase, not a relative pronoun. That does make me second-guess the assertion in the original question, though, that the quoted phrase is a relative clause, since the pronoun is neither the subject nor the object of the verb in the clause.
– geekahedron
May 28 at 19:27
The word "which" is a relative pronoun. It remains a relative pronoun when it occurs in the prepositional phrase "of which".
– sumelic
May 28 at 19:58
@Geekahedron: Your suggested rewording is ok, but your '... not completely correct' is ambiguous.
– Mido Mido
May 28 at 20:12
add a comment
|
The phrase "of which" is usually used in non-defining or non-essential relative clauses, which are offset by commas, and which are not essential to identifying the particular antecedent.
If the context of the sentence makes it clear what particular plane is being referred to, the sentence is correct if you add the commas:
The plane, the right engine of which broke down, has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
However, if knowing that the right engine broke down is in fact essential to identifying the plane in question, the relative clause is essential, and must use a relative pronoun (which will require some rewording):
The plane whose right engine broke down has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
The plane which had a broken-down right engine has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
answered May 28 at 18:39
geekahedrongeekahedron
1,8062 silver badges13 bronze badges
The phrase "of which" is usually used in non-defining or non-essential relative clauses, which are offset by commas, and which are not essential to identifying the particular antecedent.
If the context of the sentence makes it clear what particular plane is being referred to, the sentence is correct if you add the commas:
The plane, the right engine of which broke down, has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
However, if knowing that the right engine broke down is in fact essential to identifying the plane in question, the relative clause is essential, and must use a relative pronoun (which will require some rewording):
The plane whose right engine broke down has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
The plane which had a broken-down right engine has been repaired in Cairo Airport.
answered May 28 at 18:39
geekahedrongeekahedron
1,8062 silver badges13 bronze badges
edited May 28 at 20:58
answered May 28 at 18:39
geekahedrongeekahedron
1,8062 silver badges13 bronze badges
answered May 28 at 18:39
geekahedrongeekahedron
1,8062 silver badges13 bronze badges
answered May 28 at 18:39
geekahedrongeekahedron
1,8062 silver badges13 bronze badges
1,8062 silver badges13 bronze badges
1
This is incorrect. Restrictive relative clauses, as well as non-restrictive ones, can have such relative expressions with "of which". "The constructions of which I speak have the intonation and interpretation of restrictive relatives."
– Greg Lee
May 28 at 18:59
That "of which" is a prepositional phrase, not a relative pronoun. That does make me second-guess the assertion in the original question, though, that the quoted phrase is a relative clause, since the pronoun is neither the subject nor the object of the verb in the clause.
– geekahedron
May 28 at 19:27
The word "which" is a relative pronoun. It remains a relative pronoun when it occurs in the prepositional phrase "of which".
– sumelic
May 28 at 19:58
@Geekahedron: Your suggested rewording is ok, but your '... not completely correct' is ambiguous.
– Mido Mido
May 28 at 20:12
add a comment
|
1
This is incorrect. Restrictive relative clauses, as well as non-restrictive ones, can have such relative expressions with "of which". "The constructions of which I speak have the intonation and interpretation of restrictive relatives."
– Greg Lee
May 28 at 18:59
That "of which" is a prepositional phrase, not a relative pronoun. That does make me second-guess the assertion in the original question, though, that the quoted phrase is a relative clause, since the pronoun is neither the subject nor the object of the verb in the clause.
– geekahedron
May 28 at 19:27
The word "which" is a relative pronoun. It remains a relative pronoun when it occurs in the prepositional phrase "of which".
– sumelic
May 28 at 19:58
@Geekahedron: Your suggested rewording is ok, but your '... not completely correct' is ambiguous.
– Mido Mido
May 28 at 20:12
1
1
This is incorrect. Restrictive relative clauses, as well as non-restrictive ones, can have such relative expressions with "of which". "The constructions of which I speak have the intonation and interpretation of restrictive relatives."
– Greg Lee
May 28 at 18:59
This is incorrect. Restrictive relative clauses, as well as non-restrictive ones, can have such relative expressions with "of which". "The constructions of which I speak have the intonation and interpretation of restrictive relatives."
– Greg Lee
May 28 at 18:59
That "of which" is a prepositional phrase, not a relative pronoun. That does make me second-guess the assertion in the original question, though, that the quoted phrase is a relative clause, since the pronoun is neither the subject nor the object of the verb in the clause.
– geekahedron
May 28 at 19:27
That "of which" is a prepositional phrase, not a relative pronoun. That does make me second-guess the assertion in the original question, though, that the quoted phrase is a relative clause, since the pronoun is neither the subject nor the object of the verb in the clause.
– geekahedron
May 28 at 19:27
The word "which" is a relative pronoun. It remains a relative pronoun when it occurs in the prepositional phrase "of which".
– sumelic
May 28 at 19:58
The word "which" is a relative pronoun. It remains a relative pronoun when it occurs in the prepositional phrase "of which".
– sumelic
May 28 at 19:58
@Geekahedron: Your suggested rewording is ok, but your '... not completely correct' is ambiguous.
– Mido Mido
May 28 at 20:12
@Geekahedron: Your suggested rewording is ok, but your '... not completely correct' is ambiguous.
– Mido Mido
May 28 at 20:12
add a comment
|
Makes no sense to me. Could you elaborate on why you think it might be correct?
– Boondoggle
May 28 at 18:37
Possible duplicate of Defining and Non defining Relative clauses
– Edwin Ashworth
May 28 at 18:52
@Edwin Ashworth: My question is not an exact copy of the one you are referring to.
– Mido Mido
May 28 at 20:04
Are you saying that you think it's incorrect? Why? Are you suggesting that it should be "whose right engine broke down"? Why? What research have you done regarding when to use whose vs of which?
– Chappo
May 29 at 15:31