Using "that" pronoun

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Anonymous

#504387 Wed, 23 Apr 08 04:01 PM

I will illustrate my problem with an example: "There are van der Waals' forces between chains that are weaker forces in LDPE."

Does the pronoun "that" relate to the word "forces", "chains" or "van der Waals' forces between chains"?

Please, help me!

Anonymous

Nouns, Pronouns

Aperisic

#504415 Wed, 23 Apr 08 04:53 PM

It says it all you wanted to know

"There are van der Waals' forces between chains that are weaker forces in LDPE."

that are weaker forces = they are weaker forces

(LDPE = low-density polyethylene)

Chains are not forces, chains are formed by liaisons

all in all
"Between chains, there are van der Waals' forces, which are weaker forces in LDPE."

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Joined on Fri, Jul 21 2006

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Anonymous

#504423 Wed, 23 Apr 08 05:06 PM

So there is no rules that the pronoun "that" would relate to the last word?

Anonymous

Nouns, Pronouns

Grammar Geek

#504498 Wed, 23 Apr 08 09:58 PM

Often, the "that" will relate to the most recent word, but logic has to be used sometimes too.

It's not elegant English, but if I said "I wore my hat to the party that I got in Mexico" do you think I got the party in Mexico, or the hat?

I parked in the lot next to the school that has the best lighting. The LOT has the best lighting, not the school.

Grammar Geek

Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006

Pennsylvania, USA

Veteran Member (15,990)

Barbara, who answers in American English.

Aperisic

#504734 Thu, 24 Apr 08 10:15 AM

In order to be precise, you should always try to rephrase your sentence if "that" does not follow the object it really refers to.
If that does not folllow the object replacing "that" with "the one that" or with "which"... can suggest that the closest object is not related to the phrase.

"I opened a can on the table that was closest to me."

"I opened a can on the table, the one that was closest to me."
"I opened a can on the table, the can closest to me."

In
"I opened a can on the table that was closest to me."
a reader has no reason not to believe that you meant closest table.

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Grammar Geek

#504820 Thu, 24 Apr 08 01:43 PM

I would suggest the solution to your "can" issue is more simple than that: I opened the can that was closest to me on the table.

Grammar Geek