New answers tagged relative-clause
2
Not only is the verb missing from the second clause, so is the Subject.
They are deleted by the rule of Conjunction Reduction, which has been applied to two conjoined clauses, deleting the (repeated) subject and auxiliary be.
Stripped of modificational bells and whistles, the original compound sentence is
The power source is not a nuclear reactor
but ...
3
The second verb in the clause beginning with 'but' is the implied verb 'is'.
You could rephrase the sentence as:
The energy source on Voyager2 is not a nuclear reactor, in which atoms are actively broken apart, but is rather a kind of nuclear battery that uses natural radioactive decay to produce power.
2
This is an example of a free relative clause. The relative pronoun can be singular or plural, depending on the context.
In a bound relative clause, the relative pronoun has the same grammatical number as its antecedent, but a free relative clause has no antecedent. When you're not sure which number to use for a free clause, you can often deduce it by ...
0
Interpretation number 2 is correct, syntactically speaking.
As for what it means, here is my guess: Any family's "culture" (set of shared values, preferred interests, typical behaviors, etc.) is not so much a part of the "larger" culture as it is a result of choosing parts of the larger culture to be included in what the family's particular unique culture ...
1
Indeed, 1 would make more sense, but the syntax is clear: it has to be 2. What the author means I do not know; it is rather the content than the structure of the sentence that makes it confusing.
The commas would indicate that the phrase between them is to be taken as an afterthought of sorts. The commas are optional anyway, because they do not change the ...
2
Grammar Girl has a rather lengthy discussion of the use of 'where' vs 'in which'. Although I realize that the OP is asking about 'that' vs 'at which', I believe it's the same basic conundrum, and that the same conclusions can apply. Summarizing some of the points in the article:
'In which/at which' sounds formal, and would likely not be used in casual ...
2
It will probably seem less open to debate if the sentences are truncated:
What is the maximum speed that the mass can be whirled?
What is the maximum speed that this car can round this curve?
33 1/3 is the frequency that it turns.
I don't like any of them. And I wouldn't like the job of finding style guides dealing with this issue - perhaps ...
1
The above are correct. You only have to answer the questions to see that they are defining relative clauses. The maximum speed that this car can round this curve without skidding is X. That this car can round this curve without skidding restricts the noun phrase maximum speed, otherwise, what do you mean by maximum speed: the speed of light or faster? The ...
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