Today, his sculptures – which spin, tilt, shift, and sway – belong to private and public collections worldwide.
Q: Should the word “which” in between the dashes be deleted?
According to the answer scheme it should. Why?
According to the free dictionary online:
- What particular one or ones: Which of these is yours?
- The one or ones previously mentioned or implied, specifically: a. Used as a relative pronoun in a clause that provides additional information about the antecedent: my house, which is small and old. b. Used as a relative pronoun preceded by that or a preposition in a clause that defines or restricts the antecedent: that which he needed; the subject on which she spoke. c. Used instead of that as a relative pronoun in a clause that defines or restricts the antecedent: The movie which was shown later was better.
- Any of the things, events, or people designated or implied; whichever: Choose which you like best.
- A thing or circumstance that: He left early, which was wise. adj.
- What particular one or ones of a number of things or people: Which part of town do you mean?
- Any one or any number of; whichever: Use which door you please.
- Being the one or ones previously mentioned or implied: It started to rain, at which point we ran.
Those are the definitions/examples of which. None of them are used in the same context though…and it sounds weird if it isn’t there…
Which is one of those words that when you say over and over again, it loses its meaning. Just noticed that.
Well I doubt I helped at all besides providing a definition, but there it is.
Is this an official ACT question from an official test, or material from another source? Seems even too nit-picky for ACT.
I hope I don’t get banned on this forum, but this is an official released test question.
Can anyone offer a good explanation?
I can’t seem to find a satisfactory explanation for why “which” shouldn’t be included between the dashes.
Which words are the main subject and verb of the sentence?
Main subject = Sculptures
Main verb = belong
The problem comes when we consider the non-essential clause between the dashes.
Another hint - Find a word that can replace “which”.
See definition 2c in post #1.
It’s a misleading question. “Which” should be replaced with “that” probably, but they asked if it should be deleted which would make the sentence feel awkward and non-standard. They asked the question in a loaded way to see how many people knew that which doesn’t work in this context, not if the sentence works without which. It’s stuff like this that makes me glad to be finished with the ACT.
The sentence cannot work without “which”.
Perhaps the titles of his sculptures are actually “spin, tilt, shift, and sway”? That is the only way I can see this sentence working without the word “which”.
“which spin, tilt, shift, and sway” is a clause used to describe the sculptures. Note that there is the word “and” in this clause.
If we drop “which” the sentence will have incorrect grammar.
Perhaps this will help:
Haha yeah! Maybe those are just the names of his sculptures!
Since we’re all divided on this question, I guess I’ll have to give up that 36E.
Thank you ACT.
There is nothing hard about this question.
The clause emphasizes the motion effects of the sculptures.
OP says it should be deleted but everyone says otherwise… what
I agree with it having to stay in the sentence, though
I think we can all come to an agreement that the answer scheme the OP used was wrong.