| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Hiroaki Sone
Joined: 29 Oct 2005
Posts: 32
Location: Sendai, Japan
|
 Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 4:00 pm Post subject: A Is to B What C Is to D |
 |
|
Anyone please help.
[1] Exercise is to the body what reading is to the mind.
What part of speech is "what" in the sentence? I thought it was a relative pronoun .... Is it a conjunction since it is interchangeable with "as," which is a conjunction there?
Best,
Hiro[/list]
_________________
JH7JHH/ First Class ham radio operator. N9COW in U.S. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
pinenut
Joined: 16 Feb 2006
Posts: 165
Location: Illinois, U.S.A.
|
| Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 4:55 am Post subject: Re: A Is to B What C Is to D |
|
|
| Hiroaki Sone wrote: |
Anyone please help.
[1] Exercise is to the body what reading is to the mind.
What part of speech is "what" in the sentence? I thought it was a relative pronoun .... Is it a conjunction since it is interchangeable with "as," which is a conjunction there?
Best,
Hiro[/list] |
Exercise (subject) is (verb) to the body (adverbial phrase) what reading is to the mind (complement).
[Edit] "what" is a nomonal relative pronoun. So, if you consider a relative pronoun to be a conjunction, 'what' is one. However, I don't think "what" is interchangeable with "as".
Here is an explanation about 'nominal relative clause'.
nominal relative clause : a type of nominal subordinate clause. Unlike adjectival relative clauses, it does not have an antecedent in the matrix clause, and it is not introduced by a relative pronoun. Instead, a nominal relative clause is introduced by a pronoun which seems to combine the functions of antecedent and relative pronoun, viz. what(ever), which(ever), who(ever). E.g. Whatever he touches turns to gold. What she wanted was to become a sports reporter. Who we met there was Adam Peters. You can do what you like.
Last edited by pinenut on Sat Jun 02, 2007 8:18 pm; edited 2 times in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
buddhaheart
Joined: 13 Jan 2007
Posts: 195
Location: Vancouver, BC Canada
|
| Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 7:52 am Post subject: |
|
|
| �What� is a conjunction. It means as much as or as far as. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
2006
Joined: 27 Nov 2006
Posts: 610
|
| Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 11:28 am Post subject: |
|
|
| "what" doesn't mean ''as much as'' or ''as far as''; it is not quantitative. It just means as or like. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
buddhaheart
Joined: 13 Jan 2007
Posts: 195
Location: Vancouver, BC Canada
|
| Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 8:46 am Post subject: |
|
|
| 2006 wrote: |
| "what" doesn't mean ''as much as'' or ''as far as''; it is not quantitative. It just means as or like. |
�What� may be used as a conjunction, perhaps in the question sentence. According to my
dictionary and dictionary.com, �what� means exactly what I stated in my reply if used as a conjunction. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
2006
Joined: 27 Nov 2006
Posts: 610
|
| Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 10:16 am Post subject: |
|
|
I still disagree.
My dictionary doesn't list "what" as a conjunction. �dictionary.com� does list "what" as a conjunction but states that it is "older use" meaning "as much as", "as far as", and gives the example "He helps me what he can."
But that is not the meaning in Hiroaki's sentence. In Hiroaki's sentence "what" means 'as', and 'as' can replace "what". It is a qualitative equivalent. It is the same thing, not the same amount. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
