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Mr. English · Joined: 25 Nov 2009 Posts: 298 Location: Nakuru, Kenya

The sentence that I read is "… electrons are a useful model that explains observations like …". Is the subject of this sentence "electrons", and thus "electrons explain", or "model", and thus "model explains"? I have tried to figure it using Swan's "Practical English Usage" but am unable to find a definitive explanation (though of course it might be there). Thanks for answers. Glorious English!

johnslat · Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 3:12 pm Post subject:

Dear Mr. English,

It's a complex sentence with "electrons" in the independent clause the subject of "are," but in the adjective clause, "that," which refers to "model" is the subject of explains."

So, "explains" needs to be singular to agree with "that" (which refers to the singular "model).

Hope that helps.

Regards,
John

Mr. English · Joined: 25 Nov 2009 Posts: 298 Location: Nakuru, Kenya

It does.

Mr. English · Joined: 25 Nov 2009 Posts: 298 Location: Nakuru, Kenya

But as I look at it some more, I remain unconvinced. It seems to me that "electrons are" and "electrons explain". The fact that electrons "are a useful model" is fine, and I understand that "that" would usually refer back to the nearest noun, but my sense of the sentence is that electrons are doing the explaining.

Does anyone else have a thought about it?

psychedelicacy · Joined: 05 Oct 2013 Posts: 180 Location: Beijing

The elephant in the room is "a useful model". Think of some other way to describe electrons and the problem disappears - both the grammatical problem and the inaccuracy/awkwardness of characterizing electrons as "a useful model" in the first place.

esl_prof · Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2015 12:51 pm Post subject:

johnslat · Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2015 1:09 pm Post subject:

Well, let me put it this way. Let's say you have this sentence:

People are a big part of the problem, which is not going to go away.

"People" is the subject of "are" in the independent clause (everything before the comma).

The relative pronoun "which" refers back to "problem" - not to people (because, of course, "which" can't be used with "people").

"Problem" is singular, so the subject of the adjective clause (which is which - sorry, couldn't resist) is singular, which (there I go again Very Happy

) is why the verb "is" in the subordinate adjective clause has to be singular.

You wouldn't want this, would you?

People are a big part of the problem, who are not going to go away. Very Happy

Regards,
John

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johnslat · Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2015 3:13 pm Post subject:

While shaving this morning, I composed a jingle:

The sand which is in Sandwich is the kind of sand which can get in your sandwich.

OK, just a ditty, but I'll bet John Montagu would have liked it. Very Happy

Regards,
John

P.S. Dear spiral78 - I doubt the words (not necessarily a clause) before "electrons" would affect the grammar.
But, hey - I could be wrong. Could you construct a "model" which contradicts my opinion?

Sashadroogie · Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2015 5:24 pm Post subject:

How about "Nineteenth century theorists' various conceptions of electrons..."

I've been hitting the bottle, though... Hic!

johnslat · Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2015 6:18 pm Post subject:

Dear Sasha,

Nineteenth century theorists' various conceptions of electrons are a useful model that explains observations like . . ."

Could be wrong, but I believe my explanation still holds true. "Model" continues to be the reference for "that," so the singular "explains" is still correct. Very Happy

You just made the plural "conceptions" the subject of the independent clause, replacing "electrons" (which becomes the object of the preposition).

Bottoms up!

Regards,
John

Sashadroogie · Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2015 6:34 pm Post subject:

Ah! I forgot about the disproving of your thingie... I just wanted to put a clause in at the beginning...

Mr. English · Joined: 25 Nov 2009 Posts: 298 Location: Nakuru, Kenya

The full context: the sentence is from page 64 of "The Grand Design", by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow, the 2011 Bantam paperback edition. The full sentence is: "In the case of subatomic particles that we can't see, electrons are a useful model that explains observations like tracks in a cloud chamber and the spots of light on a television tube, as well as many other phenomena." After reading all the comments, and thanks to all in spite of my rejection of the majority opinion, I am convinced that Bantam got it wrong: it should be "electrons explain".