The phrase "which xxx to [verb]" is singular or plural?

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

T. Z. - 15 Jul 2004 18:19 GMT

Hi. Thank you for the comments.
The biggest question I had was:

>> The phrase "which xxx to [verb]" is singular or

plural?

1. Which letter to send is a difficult problem.

2. Which conditions to apply is a difficult problem.

3. Which licensing conditions to apply needs to be
determined.

4. Which licensing conditions to deliver to the user
needs to be determined. (I'm not sure about this one.)

The clause "which xxx to [verb]" is like a
shorthand for "The question of which ...".
Is this true?
Where this is true, the phrase is singular.

___________________________________

However,

Which condition is the problem?

Which conditions are the problem?

Which conditions for delivery are the problem?

I guess these can be distiguished from 3 and 4 above,
because here "which" is used to make a question.

___________________________________

Could someone comment?
I'd esp. appreciate links to web pages that explain
this, and reference to old Fowler (1944).
A newer edition of Fowler didn't have anything
relevant under the entry for "which".

Reply to this Message

Stewart Gordon - 16 Jul 2004 18:08 GMT

> Hi. Thank you for the comments.
> The biggest question I had was:
>
>>> The phrase "which xxx to [verb]" is singular or plural?

Hard to tell, but....

> 1. Which letter to send is a difficult problem.

I think we want a gerund here....

1. Determining which letter to send is a difficult problem.

Gerunds seem to be always singular this far....

> 2. Which conditions to apply is a difficult problem.

Same here.

> 3. Which licensing conditions to apply needs to be
> determined.

3. We need to determine which licensing conditions to apply.

> 4. Which licensing conditions to deliver to the user
> needs to be determined. (I'm not sure about this one.)

Same here.

> The clause "which xxx to [verb]" is like a
> shorthand for "The question of which ...".
> Is this true?
> Where this is true, the phrase is singular.

<snip>

Guess you're right. But omitting it sounds, to me, like a shortening of
"Whichever xxx we want to [verb], that xxx is....". Though rather
unidiomatic.

Stewart.

Signature

My e-mail is valid but not my primary mailbox, aside from its being the
unfortunate victim of intensive mail-bombing at the moment. Please keep
replies on the 'group where everyone may benefit.

Reply to this Message

Discussion Groups / British English / July 2004

The phrase "which xxx to [verb]" is singular or plural?