ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: Which is better?(2)

Mr Wordy — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 11:35:46 GMT

Kenta
Then how about this?

What's the most expensive restaurant to which you have ever been?

OK to me, but not terribly conversational. In practice I would say:

What's the most expensive restaurant (that) you've ever been to?

Re: Which is better?(2)

Marius Hancu — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 10:52:55 GMT

What's the most expensive restaurant where you have ever been?

wrong to me

Re: Which is better?(2)

Cool Breeze — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 08:36:46 GMT

Mr Wordy
CalifJim
What's the most expensive restaurant where you have ever been?

You think this is OK then? That's curious; to me it sounds quite wrong.

I consider it bad as well. The problem comes from where and been in the same clause and the fact that a short visit is implied. Where is equal in meaning to in which:

This is the house where he lives. = This is the house in which he lives. = This is the house [that/which] he lives in.

If we use where in the original sentence, we get:

What's the most expensive restaurant where you have ever been? = What's the most expensive restaurant [~~which~~/that] you have ever been in?

Which shouldn't be used because of the superlative the most expensive but even with that the sentence seems a little odd. To is normally used with been to indicate a short visit.

Re: Which is better?(2)

CalifJim — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 05:32:55 GMT

Mr Wordy
You think this is OK then? That's curious; to me it sounds quite wrong.

Is this a US/UK thing perhaps?

Not a US/UK thing. I doubt it anyway. I accept it only pedagogically as a contrast to the structure with or without that, which requires the to at the end. In itself, it's a dog of a sentence, I agree. It's just barely this side of grammatical to my ear.

Re: Which is better?(2)

Kenta — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 05:18:52 GMT

Really?　

What's the most expensive restaurant where you have ever been?

sounds odd? I've never thought of it. Then how about this?

What's the most expensive restaurant to which you have ever been?

Thank you.

Re: Which is better?(2)

Mr Wordy — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 02:53:25 GMT

CalifJim
What's the most expensive restaurant where you have ever been?

You think this is OK then? That's curious; to me it sounds quite wrong.

Is this a US/UK thing perhaps?

Re: Which is better?(2)

CalifJim — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 02:41:08 GMT

If you don't have any connecting word there (neither that nor where), then that is assumed, and you have to follow the grammatical rules as if that were the connector.

What's the most expensive restaurant (that) you have ever been to?

What's the most expensive restaurant where you have ever been?

Which is better?(2)

Kenta — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 00:13:21 GMT

Hello. I ask you again.

Q Do I need "to"?

What's the most expensive restaurant you have ever been (to)?

A Yes.

So I have one more question.

What's the most expenseive restaurant that you have ever been to?

What's the most expensive restaurant where you have ever been?

These sentences are correct. And we don't have to use "that" and " where".

But someone said if I omit the word "where", I should write,

What's the most expenseive restaurant you have ever been to?

Could you explain the reason to me?

Thank you.