Of which or of which the
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Would you say, "a flat of which windows were broken" or "a flat of which the windows were broken"? Of course the best solution is "A flat the windows of which" or "whose windows".
british-english
asked Nov 1 '18 at 11:33
PaxPax
42
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 19 mins ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
add a comment |
Would you say, "a flat of which windows were broken" or "a flat of which the windows were broken"? Of course the best solution is "A flat the windows of which" or "whose windows".
british-english
asked Nov 1 '18 at 11:33
PaxPax
42
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 19 mins ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
1
Could you explain why your 'best solution' of whose windows isn't good enough? A complete example sentence might help.
– Jim Mack
Nov 1 '18 at 11:39
@JimMack That would work if what is intended is that all the windows are broken. If only some of the are, we need another way round it.
– Tuffy
Nov 1 '18 at 12:26
You kind of supply the answer yourself. Note how you said the best solution is "a flat the windows of which" and not "a flat windows of which". So you do want to say "the". And so if you change the word order, you want to keep it.
– RegDwigнt♦
Nov 1 '18 at 13:44
add a comment |
Would you say, "a flat of which windows were broken" or "a flat of which the windows were broken"? Of course the best solution is "A flat the windows of which" or "whose windows".
british-english
asked Nov 1 '18 at 11:33
PaxPax
42
Would you say, "a flat of which windows were broken" or "a flat of which the windows were broken"? Of course the best solution is "A flat the windows of which" or "whose windows".
british-english
british-english
asked Nov 1 '18 at 11:33
PaxPax
42
asked Nov 1 '18 at 11:33
PaxPax
42
asked Nov 1 '18 at 11:33
PaxPax
42
asked Nov 1 '18 at 11:33
PaxPax
42
asked Nov 1 '18 at 11:33
PaxPax
42
42
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 19 mins ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 19 mins ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
1
Could you explain why your 'best solution' of whose windows isn't good enough? A complete example sentence might help.
– Jim Mack
Nov 1 '18 at 11:39
@JimMack That would work if what is intended is that all the windows are broken. If only some of the are, we need another way round it.
– Tuffy
Nov 1 '18 at 12:26
You kind of supply the answer yourself. Note how you said the best solution is "a flat the windows of which" and not "a flat windows of which". So you do want to say "the". And so if you change the word order, you want to keep it.
– RegDwigнt♦
Nov 1 '18 at 13:44
add a comment |
1
Could you explain why your 'best solution' of whose windows isn't good enough? A complete example sentence might help.
– Jim Mack
Nov 1 '18 at 11:39
@JimMack That would work if what is intended is that all the windows are broken. If only some of the are, we need another way round it.
– Tuffy
Nov 1 '18 at 12:26
You kind of supply the answer yourself. Note how you said the best solution is "a flat the windows of which" and not "a flat windows of which". So you do want to say "the". And so if you change the word order, you want to keep it.
– RegDwigнt♦
Nov 1 '18 at 13:44
1
1
Could you explain why your 'best solution' of whose windows isn't good enough? A complete example sentence might help.
– Jim Mack
Nov 1 '18 at 11:39
Could you explain why your 'best solution' of whose windows isn't good enough? A complete example sentence might help.
– Jim Mack
Nov 1 '18 at 11:39
@JimMack That would work if what is intended is that all the windows are broken. If only some of the are, we need another way round it.
– Tuffy
Nov 1 '18 at 12:26
@JimMack That would work if what is intended is that all the windows are broken. If only some of the are, we need another way round it.
– Tuffy
Nov 1 '18 at 12:26
You kind of supply the answer yourself. Note how you said the best solution is "a flat the windows of which" and not "a flat windows of which". So you do want to say "the". And so if you change the word order, you want to keep it.
– RegDwigнt♦
Nov 1 '18 at 13:44
You kind of supply the answer yourself. Note how you said the best solution is "a flat the windows of which" and not "a flat windows of which". So you do want to say "the". And so if you change the word order, you want to keep it.
– RegDwigнt♦
Nov 1 '18 at 13:44
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
It depends whether what is being said is that all the windows or only some of them were broken.
“The windows” will tend to mean all of them. The only exception would be certain collective nouns, like ‘the people’. “The people voted for Brexit” does not mean that all the people so voted, though pro-brexit activists are happy to give that impression.
I have bought a flat of which the windows are broken.
This means that they all are broken.
I have bought a flat of which windows are broken.
This is incorrect. We can understand, if we think about it, that it must mean that some windows are broken. But this needs saying.
I have bought a flat of which some windows are broken.
Strangely enough, there is a way of saying it without its being possible to tell whether all, most or just a few windows are broken.
I have bought a flat with broken windows.
This is consistent with its being the case that some or, even in the absence of the definite article, all of the windows that are said to be broken. All that is certain is that there are more than one of them.
answered Nov 1 '18 at 12:24
TuffyTuffy
3,4611619
add a comment |
TLDR: You should use
a flat of which the windows were broken
if they broke all the windows, and
a flat in which windows were broken
if they just broke some of the windows.
The way to figure these things out is to unwind the sentences.
Would you say
Somebody broke the windows of my flat,
or
*Somebody broke windows of my flat.
When I look at these sentences, it seems to me that the first one implies they broke all the windows. The second one is awkward, because windows of my flat sounds like it refers to all the windows, but if you were trying to talk about all the windows, you would use the. If they just broke some of the windows, you would use the preposition in.
Somebody broke windows in my flat.
Turning these back into relative clauses,
you get a flat of which the windows are broken or a flat in which windows were broken, as I say at the beginning of this answer.
answered Nov 1 '18 at 12:29
Peter Shor Peter Shor
62.1k5117224
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
It depends whether what is being said is that all the windows or only some of them were broken.
“The windows” will tend to mean all of them. The only exception would be certain collective nouns, like ‘the people’. “The people voted for Brexit” does not mean that all the people so voted, though pro-brexit activists are happy to give that impression.
I have bought a flat of which the windows are broken.
This means that they all are broken.
I have bought a flat of which windows are broken.
This is incorrect. We can understand, if we think about it, that it must mean that some windows are broken. But this needs saying.
I have bought a flat of which some windows are broken.
Strangely enough, there is a way of saying it without its being possible to tell whether all, most or just a few windows are broken.
I have bought a flat with broken windows.
This is consistent with its being the case that some or, even in the absence of the definite article, all of the windows that are said to be broken. All that is certain is that there are more than one of them.
answered Nov 1 '18 at 12:24
TuffyTuffy
3,4611619
add a comment |
It depends whether what is being said is that all the windows or only some of them were broken.
“The windows” will tend to mean all of them. The only exception would be certain collective nouns, like ‘the people’. “The people voted for Brexit” does not mean that all the people so voted, though pro-brexit activists are happy to give that impression.
I have bought a flat of which the windows are broken.
This means that they all are broken.
I have bought a flat of which windows are broken.
This is incorrect. We can understand, if we think about it, that it must mean that some windows are broken. But this needs saying.
I have bought a flat of which some windows are broken.
Strangely enough, there is a way of saying it without its being possible to tell whether all, most or just a few windows are broken.
I have bought a flat with broken windows.
This is consistent with its being the case that some or, even in the absence of the definite article, all of the windows that are said to be broken. All that is certain is that there are more than one of them.
answered Nov 1 '18 at 12:24
TuffyTuffy
3,4611619
add a comment |
It depends whether what is being said is that all the windows or only some of them were broken.
“The windows” will tend to mean all of them. The only exception would be certain collective nouns, like ‘the people’. “The people voted for Brexit” does not mean that all the people so voted, though pro-brexit activists are happy to give that impression.
I have bought a flat of which the windows are broken.
This means that they all are broken.
I have bought a flat of which windows are broken.
This is incorrect. We can understand, if we think about it, that it must mean that some windows are broken. But this needs saying.
I have bought a flat of which some windows are broken.
Strangely enough, there is a way of saying it without its being possible to tell whether all, most or just a few windows are broken.
I have bought a flat with broken windows.
This is consistent with its being the case that some or, even in the absence of the definite article, all of the windows that are said to be broken. All that is certain is that there are more than one of them.
answered Nov 1 '18 at 12:24
TuffyTuffy
3,4611619
It depends whether what is being said is that all the windows or only some of them were broken.
“The windows” will tend to mean all of them. The only exception would be certain collective nouns, like ‘the people’. “The people voted for Brexit” does not mean that all the people so voted, though pro-brexit activists are happy to give that impression.
I have bought a flat of which the windows are broken.
This means that they all are broken.
I have bought a flat of which windows are broken.
This is incorrect. We can understand, if we think about it, that it must mean that some windows are broken. But this needs saying.
I have bought a flat of which some windows are broken.
Strangely enough, there is a way of saying it without its being possible to tell whether all, most or just a few windows are broken.
I have bought a flat with broken windows.
This is consistent with its being the case that some or, even in the absence of the definite article, all of the windows that are said to be broken. All that is certain is that there are more than one of them.
answered Nov 1 '18 at 12:24
TuffyTuffy
3,4611619
answered Nov 1 '18 at 12:24
TuffyTuffy
3,4611619
answered Nov 1 '18 at 12:24
TuffyTuffy
3,4611619
answered Nov 1 '18 at 12:24
TuffyTuffy
3,4611619
3,4611619
add a comment |
add a comment |
TLDR: You should use
a flat of which the windows were broken
if they broke all the windows, and
a flat in which windows were broken
if they just broke some of the windows.
The way to figure these things out is to unwind the sentences.
Would you say
Somebody broke the windows of my flat,
or
*Somebody broke windows of my flat.
When I look at these sentences, it seems to me that the first one implies they broke all the windows. The second one is awkward, because windows of my flat sounds like it refers to all the windows, but if you were trying to talk about all the windows, you would use the. If they just broke some of the windows, you would use the preposition in.
Somebody broke windows in my flat.
Turning these back into relative clauses,
you get a flat of which the windows are broken or a flat in which windows were broken, as I say at the beginning of this answer.
answered Nov 1 '18 at 12:29
Peter Shor Peter Shor
62.1k5117224
add a comment |
TLDR: You should use
a flat of which the windows were broken
if they broke all the windows, and
a flat in which windows were broken
if they just broke some of the windows.
The way to figure these things out is to unwind the sentences.
Would you say
Somebody broke the windows of my flat,
or
*Somebody broke windows of my flat.
When I look at these sentences, it seems to me that the first one implies they broke all the windows. The second one is awkward, because windows of my flat sounds like it refers to all the windows, but if you were trying to talk about all the windows, you would use the. If they just broke some of the windows, you would use the preposition in.
Somebody broke windows in my flat.
Turning these back into relative clauses,
you get a flat of which the windows are broken or a flat in which windows were broken, as I say at the beginning of this answer.
answered Nov 1 '18 at 12:29
Peter Shor Peter Shor
62.1k5117224
add a comment |
TLDR: You should use
a flat of which the windows were broken
if they broke all the windows, and
a flat in which windows were broken
if they just broke some of the windows.
The way to figure these things out is to unwind the sentences.
Would you say
Somebody broke the windows of my flat,
or
*Somebody broke windows of my flat.
When I look at these sentences, it seems to me that the first one implies they broke all the windows. The second one is awkward, because windows of my flat sounds like it refers to all the windows, but if you were trying to talk about all the windows, you would use the. If they just broke some of the windows, you would use the preposition in.
Somebody broke windows in my flat.
Turning these back into relative clauses,
you get a flat of which the windows are broken or a flat in which windows were broken, as I say at the beginning of this answer.
answered Nov 1 '18 at 12:29
Peter Shor Peter Shor
62.1k5117224
TLDR: You should use
a flat of which the windows were broken
if they broke all the windows, and
a flat in which windows were broken
if they just broke some of the windows.
The way to figure these things out is to unwind the sentences.
Would you say
Somebody broke the windows of my flat,
or
*Somebody broke windows of my flat.
When I look at these sentences, it seems to me that the first one implies they broke all the windows. The second one is awkward, because windows of my flat sounds like it refers to all the windows, but if you were trying to talk about all the windows, you would use the. If they just broke some of the windows, you would use the preposition in.
Somebody broke windows in my flat.
Turning these back into relative clauses,
you get a flat of which the windows are broken or a flat in which windows were broken, as I say at the beginning of this answer.
answered Nov 1 '18 at 12:29
Peter Shor Peter Shor
62.1k5117224
answered Nov 1 '18 at 12:29
Peter Shor Peter Shor
62.1k5117224
answered Nov 1 '18 at 12:29
Peter Shor Peter Shor
62.1k5117224
answered Nov 1 '18 at 12:29
Peter Shor Peter Shor
62.1k5117224
62.1k5117224
add a comment |
add a comment |
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1
Could you explain why your 'best solution' of whose windows isn't good enough? A complete example sentence might help.
– Jim Mack
Nov 1 '18 at 11:39
@JimMack That would work if what is intended is that all the windows are broken. If only some of the are, we need another way round it.
– Tuffy
Nov 1 '18 at 12:26
You kind of supply the answer yourself. Note how you said the best solution is "a flat the windows of which" and not "a flat windows of which". So you do want to say "the". And so if you change the word order, you want to keep it.
– RegDwigнt♦
Nov 1 '18 at 13:44